Balance
by Musicunderground
Summary: You-Know-Who's back. NEWTs are approaching. Umbridge is teaching Defence Against the Dark Arts. Dumbledore's Army is set up. And amongst all this, Mia Homing tries to find the balance between the old friendship, and the new romance with George… George/OC
1. Going To Hogwarts

**BOOM BABY! I'M BACK! So, this is the sequel to Laughter, the name of the story is Balance… but you probably figured that out already… It's set during Order of the Phoenix… blah, blah, blah… so yeah!**

**He, he, I didn't even make you wait the week I was planning to make you wait for!**

**Disclaimer: I only own Mia and Sally…**

**Also, the witch on the Chocolate Frog Card is, according to the Harry Potter Wikia, actually on a Chocolate Frog card.**

Chapter 1: Going To Hogwarts

Mia Homing flitted around her bedroom, throwing things in her trunk at the last minute. She hastily pushed her mousy brown hair out of her face, looking around for her tie.

"Why did I only pack half my stuff last night? _Why_?" she muttered to herself. Her eyes, which were a shade darker then her hair and too wide for her face, flicked around her room, and she let out a yell of triumph as she spotted her red and gold tie, and threw it in her trunk on top of her robes.

"Mia? You almost ready? Sally's waiting!" her mother called from downstairs.

"Yeah, yeah! Gimme a sec!" Mia shouted back, throwing a handful of quills in her trunk. She looked around the room again. She was forgetting something. _What am I _

_forgetting?_ She gripped her scalp and ran through everything she'd packed over the past two days. _Robes, Muggle clothes, books, tie, quills, parchment, cauldron-_ "WAND!" she yelled, grabbing it off of her bedside table, "I'd of been screwed if I'd forgotten this…" she muttered, shoving it onto her pocket.

She picked up the stack of letters she'd received from Fred and George Weasley, Angelina Johnson, Alicia Spinnet and Katie Bell over the summer and shoved them in the black bin bag full of rubbish, along with the several copies of the _Daily Prophet_. She slid some photo's (both moving and non-moving) off of the table and chucked them into her trunk too, along with the Terriana Perfume and the Gloww Ball she had gotten from Angelina and Alicia last year for her birthday.

"Mia!" her mum called.

"One minute!" she called back, slamming her trunk shut. She pulled on a pair of five inch high, neon yellow boots, slipped on a jean jacket and pulled her wand out of her pocket. She flicked it and her trunk lifted about a millimetre off the bed, then dropped back down. She flicked it again. Nothing happened this time. She sighed irritably and said, "_Locomotor Trunk_!" the trunk flew up into the air. She'd never gotten the hang of non-verbal spells.

As she marched down the stairs, she checked her watch. Quarter to eleven. She stopped at the bottom of the stairs, her parents in front of her. "Well, have fun at school, and we'll see you at Christmas," her mum said.

"Yeah, bye, Mum!" Mia hugged her mother, then her father, "bye, Dad!" her parents smiled at her before she went through the front door, letting her trunk fall to the ground- incase any Muggles were peering out of their windows. Sally Baker was standing by the wall. Sally was the only other witch anywhere near Mia, living just a few doors down.

"You ready to go?" Sally asked her.

"Yup!" Mia said, excited. This year, she was old enough to Apperated to Kings Cross Station, and she sure as hell was going to do it. Hey, it meant she didn't have to wake up at half six in the morning to take a three hour car journey!

"Ok, then. Three, two, one-" _CRACK_! And there was no one there anymore.

Miles away, however, Mia, Sally, and the trunk appeared at Kings Cross. Mia paused for a second. "Am I Splinched?" she asked. Sally smiled.

"No, you're absolutely fine."

"Great! Let's go, then!" Mia picked up her trunk and they made their way to Platforms nine and ten. They looked around quickly before stepping through the barrier, emerging on Platform 9¾. Mia looked around; searching for someone she might know.

"Ah," she heard Sally say. Mia looked in the direction Sally was now walking in and saw Harry Potter, standing with Mrs Weasley, and old woman and a big, black dog. Mia smiled and jogged up to them after Sally.

"Where'd ya get the dog, Harry?" Mia asked. Harry looked up and smiled at her.

"Hi, Mia," he greeted.

"Hiya," she ruffled his hair and the dog barked, "So... the dog, you can't exactly take it to Hogwarts… can you?" she asked. The dog barked and she looked down at it.

"Um… no…" next to them, Mrs Weasley, the old woman and Sally were having a whispered conversation.

"Where are Fred and George and Ginny, Ron and Hermione?" Mia asked.

"They'll be here in a min-" suddenly, a man with a hat pulled over one eye and scarred face came over to them, carrying a load of trunks.

"All ok. Don't think we were followed," Mad-Eye Moody said to Mrs Weasley and the old woman. He nodded to Sally in greeting, and she smiled back, then- without even looking at her- said, "Who's this?" jerking his head sideways towards Mia. She had a feeling his magical eye was on her under that hat.

"That's Mia Homing," Sally said, "She's a friend of the Weasley twins." Moody turned both his eyes on her and looked at her suspiciously.

"Don't worry, Mad-Eye, she's not an assassin!" the old woman said.

"Can't be too sure!" Moody said. Mia just blinked up at him.

Mr Weasley appeared with Ron and Hermione. "Hi, guys!" Mia said.

"Oh! Hi, Mia! When did you get here?" Ron asked.

"Just now. With Sally," Mia gestured to her.

"HEY! I know that woman! She was-"

"Shh!" Hermione said, then looked at Mia, slightly worried. Mia just smiled.

"Don't worry, guys, I'll just, um, _pretend_… that I didn't hear that," she winked at them, and they looked at her, utterly confused. Before they could ask anything, however, Fred, George, Ginny and Lupin turned up. She turned around and grinned broadly at Fred, her friend, and George, her boyfriend. She flung her arms around them and came back, still smiling.

"Hi!" she said. They smiled back at her.

Mia hung back for a minute with Sally while everyone else said goodbye to each other.

"Quick, quick," said Mrs Weasley, ushering them all onto the train and the whistle blew, "Write, be good, if you've forgotten anything we'll send it on. On to the train, now, hurry!" Mia stepped up onto the train and pulled her trunk up behind her.

Mia looked with confusion as the black dog stood up on its hind legs and put its paws on Harry's shoulder. Mrs Weasley muttered something to it and it stood back on four legs.

"See you!" Harry called, once he was on the train. As the train started to move, the dog started to run along with it. Finally, the train rounded the bend, and the dog, Mr Weasley, Lupin, Moody, the old woman, Mrs Weasley and Sally were out of sight.

"He shouldn't have come with us," Hermione said.

"Who?" Mia asked. They ignored her.

"Oh, lighten up," Ron told her, "he hasn't seen daylight for months, poor bloke."

"Who?" Mia asked again. They ignored her again. Mia just rolled her eyes. "c'mon, the compartment's will be full up if we don't get a move on!" she tugged on George's hand and they made their way down the train, leaving Hermione, Ron and Harry alone.

When they finally found a compartment and had sat down, Mia asked, "So, who shouldn't have come?" Fred and George glanced at each other, and when they didn't answer, Mia said "is it something to do with the Order?" They looked at her, surprised.

"How do you know about that?" Fred asked. Mia rolled her eyes.

"Sally's a member," she replied simply.

"…Sally?" Mia rolled her eyes. Again.

"You know, the woman who brought me to the World Cup last year? She was the woman talking to your mum."

"_Oh_!" Fred replied.

"Yeah, she's a member. She said that joined the last time. Like, in the very last year before it disbanded. Apparently, she was the youngest member. Joined so late she didn't even get to go on any missions, but she was still a member, so obviously she got contacted at the end of last year. But she won't tell me anything about what happens in the meetings or anything. And she also said I wasn't allowed to say I knew anything in any letters I sent to you, in case they got intercepted of something…" Mia explained Fred and George just looked at her blankly.

Finally, Fred said, "so all of our mysterious letters-"

"Weren't remotely mysterious at all. No," Mia said, then laughed, "but it was a good try."

"So… what _do_ you know?" George asked. Mia looked up at the ceiling.

"I know that it's called the Order of the Phoenix… I know that Dumbledore set it up when You-Know-Who was first in power… um… that's about it."

"So you don't know much?" Fred asked.

"No… can you tell me?" she asked.

"Not really…" Fred said, "I mean, we don't really know much either. We found out what a few of them are doing, like tailing death eaters and stuff… and apparently You-Know-Who's trying to find some kind of weapon… Mum and Dad's in the Order, and so are Lupin and Moody, you know, our past Defence Against the Dark Arts teachers, they're in it. And obviously Sally, that woman you know. Professor McGonagall's in it too-"

"Really?" Mia asked.

"Yup," George carried on, "And apparently Hagrid, but we haven't actually seen him," his tone suddenly got much darker, "and Snape-"

"WHAT?" Mia cried.

"Yeah," Fred said, "he comes and gives reports every other night. Sends us dirty looks every time he passed us."

"We were thinking of slipping him some Nosebleed Nougat, but-"

"Some _what_?" Mia asked, laughing. The twins grinned and started explaining about the things they were making for their joke shop, but how most of it was complete and how they had been sneaking different things away when Mrs Weasley wasn't looking to experiment with.

The food trolley passed and Mia brought a pile of Chocolate Frogs, while Fred and George brought a few boxes of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans. "Who's dog was that, anyway?" Mia asked as she finished her first Chocolate Frog, and was reading through the card. It was about some witch called Queen Maeve- who apparently trained witches and wizards in Ireland before Hogwarts. She started fiddling with the rose charm on the necklace from George.

"That was Sirius," Fred replied, absentmindedly, inspecting a green Bean, before placing it carefully back in the box.

"Who?" she looked up at him.

"Sirius Black," Fred replied, and Mia dropped her card.

"What? Why was _Sirius Black_ on the platform with you?" she asked.

"_Shh_!" Fred and George told her, "it's alright! He's innocent!" George said.

"What?" they explained about how Sirius Black had been framed, and how he was actually innocent and was also Harry's godfather. When they had finished, Mia just blinked at them.

"So… he's innocent?" she asked.

"We've just said that about five times," Fred said. Mia sat there and mulled over what they had just said.

"I… think that makes sense…" she said.

"Good," Fred nodded, "so what did you do this summer?"

Rolling her eyes, Mia said, "visited Jess, my cousin, went into London and went shopping… and that was about it. Didn't do much, you?"

"Just stayed at Headquarters most of the summer," George said.

"Where is Headquarters?" Mia asked.

"Can't tell you."

"Why?"

"Dumbledore's Secret-Keeper, only he can tell someone where it is," Fred explained.

"Oh," Mia sighed heavily.

"But guess who became a prefect?" Fred asked.

"…Hermione and Harry?"

"Half right," George replied.

"Hermione did-"

"Obviously."

"-And Ron." Mia chocked slightly on the bite of Chocolate frog she'd just taken.

"You sure?" she asked.

"Yup."

"But… _Ron_?"

"Yeah. We thought for sure it'd be Harry," George told her.

"Huh," Mia mused, smiling slightly.

"What?" the twins asked.

"Well… it _could_ be quite useful… having a brother as a prefect… especially a _younger_ brother. And Ron's not like Percy-" the twins suddenly scowled, "what?"

"Tell you in a minute, go on," Fred said. Mia paused a second before continuing.

"Ron's not like Percy, we'd be able to… shall we say, _convince_ him to let us get away with certain stuff." Mia smiled. Fred's eyebrows quirked.

"Now _that_... is a good idea."

"What can I say? I'm immense. So what's up with Percy?" she asked.

"He and Dad had a massive fight," said Fred.

"Percy got promoted, see. Fudge's personal assistant," George explained.

"Came home thinking Dad would be all proud. But he wasn't, obviously."

"Dad thinks Fudge is going to get Percy to spy on him for Fudge," George told her.

"So then there was this massive fight and Percy just… left…" Fred said.

"Mum's in a right state… we can't mention him without her crying…" George sighed.

"Oh my god!"

Finally, they arrived at Hogsmeade station, and they made their way through the bustling students. "I've just realised…" Mia said, as she walked along behind George, holding his hand.

"What?"

"We're in our last year… like… after this year we're never coming back…" a third year bumped into her and her hand slipped out of George's.

"Oh, don't get all sentimental!" Fred complained.

"I'm not, but I only just realised. It's kinda weird…"

"Not really."

"Oh, shut up, Fred!" she told his as she jumped down from the train, landing next to George and taking hold of his hand again.

**So… there we go… the first chapter of Balance. I appreciate it may have not been the best chapter I've ever done… it was mainly for Mia to get up-to-date on what's happened over the summer. Plus, you also got to see what Mia was like before she goes to King's Cross!**

**Anyways, hope the first chapter was alright… and please review!**


	2. The Feast and The Speech

**So… here's where the story really takes off**

**For reviewing, thanks to: Adora81, XxX Fred Weasley's Wife XxX, Oogie, the Anonymous Reviewer, and rowellylovesgryffindor**

**Disclaimer: I only own Mia and blah, blah, blah…**

Chapter 2: The Feast and The Speech

Mia, Fred and George shuffled into the Great Hall and sat down at the Gryffindor table, Mia and George next to each other with Fred opposite them. "New Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher… new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher… new Defence Against the Dark Arts te-" Mia stopped as her eyes landed on a woman with a pink cardigan, a pink hat and toad like face. "I'm guessing that's her…"

"_Her_?" Fred asked, looking for the woman.

"Hes, Fred. _Her_," Mia replied, rolling her eyes.

The next minute, Angelina Johnson and Alicia Spinnet were sliding into seats either side of Fred, while Katie Bell sat down next to Mia. Angelina was grinning broadly.

"Guess what?" she said, excited.

"Hello?" Mia said.

"Oh, hi. Guess what?"

"What?"

"I'm Quidditch Captain!" Angelina sang. The twins stared at her for a second while Mia grinned and congratulated her.

"So… that means you're in charge of us during Quidditch practice?" Fred said.

"Yes, Fred. That is generally what a captain does."

At the front of the Hall, the double doors flew open and the group of First Years entered the Hall, looking pale and scared. "I swear they're shorter then last years!" Mia muttered to George. McGonagall placed the Sorting Hat on the stool and most of the First Years stared at it. The rip that acted as its mouth opened:

In times of old when I was new  
And Hogwarts barely started  
The founders of our noble school  
Thought never to be parted  
United by a common goal,  
They had the selfsame yearning,  
To make the world's best magic school  
And pass along their learning.  
"Together we will build and teach!"  
The four good friends decided  
And never did they dream that they  
Might some day be divided,  
For were there such friends anywhere  
As Slytherin and Gryffindor?  
Unless it was the second pair  
Of Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw?  
So how could it have gone so wrong?  
How could such friendships fail?  
Why, I was there and so can tell  
The whole sad, sorry tale.  
Said Slytherin, "We'll teach just those  
Whose ancestry is purest."  
Said Ravenclaw, "We'll teach those whose  
Intelligence is surest."  
Said Gryffindor, "We'll teach all those  
With brave deeds to their name,"  
Said Hufflepuff, "I'll teach the lot,  
And treat them just the same."  
These differences caused little strife  
When first they came to light,  
For each of the four founders had  
A house in which they might  
Take only those they wanted, so,  
For instance, Slytherin  
Took only pure-blood wizards  
Of great cunning, just like him,  
And only those of sharpest mind  
Were taught by Ravenclaw  
While the bravest and the boldest  
Went to daring Gryffindor.  
Good Hufflepuff, she took the rest,  
And taught them all she knew,  
Thus the houses and their founders  
Retained friendships firm and true.  
So Hogwarts worked in harmony  
For several happy years,  
But then discord crept among us  
Feeding on our faults and fears.  
The houses that, like pillars four,  
Had once held up our school,  
Now turned upon each other and,  
Divided, sought to rule.  
And for a while it seemed the school  
Must meet an early end,  
What with duelling and with fighting  
And the clash of friend on friend  
And at last there came a morning  
When old Slytherin departed  
And though the fighting then died out  
He left us quite downhearted.  
And never since the founders four  
Were whittled down to three  
Have the houses been united  
As they once were meant to be.  
And now the Sorting Hat is here  
And you all know the score:  
I sort you into houses  
Because that is what I'm for,  
But this year I'll go further,  
Listen closely to my song:  
Though condemned I am to split you  
Still I worry that it's wrong,  
Though I must fulfil my duty  
And must quarter every year  
Still I wonder whether Sorting  
May not bring the end I fear.  
Oh, know the perils, read the signs,  
The warning history shows,  
For our Hogwarts is in danger  
From external, deadly foes  
And we must unite inside her  
Or we'll crumble from within  
I have told you, I have warned you,  
Let the Sorting now begin.

Mia started to clap slowly along with the rest of the people in the Hall. "'For our Hogwarts is in danger'?" she asked, slowly letting her hands fall to the table.

"'From external deadly foes'…" Angelina continued.

"D'ya reckon that's-?" Alicia started.

"The Death Easters," finished Fred.

"And You-Know-Who," said George.

"Even the Sorting Hat believes he's back," Katie muttered. They all looked at each other for a second, before McGonagall called out the first name

"Abercrombie, Euan," she called, and a tiny boy sat on the stool.

"Gryffindor!" the Hat shouted, and the whole of the table burst into applause. Finally, the last student was Sorted into Hufflepuff, and Dumbledore stood up. Mia started tapping impatiently on her plate, telling him to hurry up in her mind so she could eat.

"To our newcomers, welcome! To our old hands - welcome back! There is a time for speech-making, but this is not it. Tuck in!" the plates along the middle of the table filled with food, and Mia grinned, stabbing a piece of chicken with her fork.

They forgot about the Sorting Hat's song while they were eating. Angelina started going through a list of people who she hoped would turn up for the Quidditch tryouts, seeing as they needed a new Keeper. "Maybe you could try, Mia," suggested Katie, "I mean, your friends with the captain, I'm sure she could, er, pull a few strings."

"Um… no, I don't think so…"  
"Aw, why?" Alicia asked.

"Have you _seen_ me fly?" Mia asked.

"Yes," Fred replied, "you're terrible."

"Ok, I'm not _terrible_," she said, indignantly, "but I'm not the best. There's definitely someone here better then me." Alicia opened her mouth, but didn't say anything as the bits of desserts left on the plates disappeared and Dumbledore stood up.

"Well, now that we are all digesting another magnificent feast," he started, "I beg a few moments of your attention for the usual start-of-term notices: First-years ought to know that the Forest in the grounds is out-of-bounds to students - and a few of our older students ought to know by now, too. Mr Filch, the caretaker, has asked me, for what he tells me is the four-hundred-and-sixty-second time, to remind you all that magic is not permitted in corridors between classes, nor are a number of other things, all of which can be checked on the extensive list now fastened to Mr Filch's office door."

"Yeah, like _anyone_ would want to read that," Fred muttered.

"Even if they _did_," Mia replied, "they wouldn't _be able_ to. Filch'd hang anyone who went anywhere _near_ his office!"

Up the front, Dumbledore was introducing the new professors. "-We are very pleased to welcome back Professor Grubbly-Plank, who will be taking Care of Magical Creatures lessons; we are also delighted to introduce Professor Umbridge, our new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher."

"Told ya it was her!" Mia smirked at Fred as they clapped politely for the teachers.

Dumbledore continued, "Tryouts for the house Quidditch teams will take place on the-" up the front, Umbridge stood up, not really looking any taller then she did then when she was sitting down. She was smiling sweetly, stretching the skin on her face. Dumbledore stared for just a second, then sat down. The other professors held expressions of surprise on their face, and all around the Hall, the students were staring at Umbridge, as if she was crazy.

"Thank you, Headmaster- for those kind words of welcome," Umbridge said in a high, girly voice that reflected the clothes she wore, but not her face.

"Hem, hem," she gave a fake cough, "Well, it is lovely to be back at Hogwarts, I must say! And to see such happy, little faces looking up at me!" all around the Hall, nobody was smiling. Mia looked ahead at the short woman clad in pink with her eyebrows raised.

"I am very much looking forward to getting to know you all, and I'm sure we'll be very good friends!"

"Whatever you say," Fred muttered under his breath.

Umbridge cleared her throat again with that little fake cough, and continued, this time in a business-like drone.

"The Ministry of Magic has always considered the education of young witches and wizards to be of vital importance," she said, looking around the Hall, "The rare gifts with which you were born may come to nothing if not nurtured and honed by careful instruction. The ancient skills unique to the wizarding community must be passed down the generations lest we lose them for ever. The treasure trove of magical knowledge amassed by our ancestors must be guarded, replenished and polished by those who have been called to the noble profession of teaching."

Mia blinked once, then started to look around the Hall. The enchanted ceiling was black, without stars. Maybe they were covered with clouds? Around the Hall, other students' attention was flowing away from Umbridge as well.

"Every headmaster and headmistress of Hogwarts has brought something new to the weighty task of governing this historic school," Umbridge continued "and that is as it should be, for without progress there will be stagnation and decay. There again, progress, for progress's sake, must be discouraged, for our tried and tested traditions often require no tinkering. A balance, then, between old and new, between permanence and change, between tradition and innovation."

Behind her, George started to trace a pattern between her shoulder blades, dragging his finger lightly across her back. A few students around the Hall were whispering to each other, others were staring glassy-eyed at Umbridge, intent on at least giving the _impression_ that they were listening to her. A girl with blonde hair sitting at the Ravenclaw table was reading a magazine. The only people in the Hall who were actually listening to Umbridge were Dumbledore, a few other teachers, and Hermione.

Umbridge was either oblivious to the fact that nobody paying her any attention, or pretended to be. Still droning on, she said, "Some changes will be for the better, while others will come, in the fullness of time, to be recognised as errors of judgement. Meanwhile, some old habits will be retained, and rightly so, whereas others, outmoded and outworn, must be abandoned. Let us move forward, then, into a new era of openness, effectiveness and accountability, intent on preserving what ought to be preserved, perfecting what needs to be perfected, and pruning wherever we find practices that ought to be prohibited." Finally, she sat down, and Mia snapped her head back up as Dumbledore started clapping. "huh, what? Oh, right…" Mia boredly brought her hands together twice before the short applause died out.

"Thank you very much, Professor Umbridge, that was most illuminating," Dumbledore said as he stood up again. "Now, as I was saying, Quidditch tryouts will be held within the next week…"

Down the table, Harry, Ron and Hermione were having a whispered conversation, but every other student in that Hall were silent and seemed to have turned their full attention to Dumbledore. Though George still traced his finger across Mia's back.

Angelina, Katie, Alicia, George, Mia and Fred entered the common room a little after the rest of the Gryffindor. There was a few students still in there, a couple first years still staring with wonder around the room, and a fourth year searching one of the corners for something.

Angelina, Alicia and Katie headed up to bed. George was about to follow his brother up the stairs towards the boys' dormitory when Mia grabbed his hand and tugged him back. He looked down at her confused for a second and she reached up, pressing her lips to his, slipping her arms around his neck. When she pulled back, she smiled coyly. "Night," she told him, turning and running towards the dormitory. Before she turned the corner, she looked back and smiled again, winking at him.

**So… how was that? It seemed alright to me…**

**Right… well… I don't actually have much to say here… other then…**

**Please review! (Oh, c'mon, you knew it was coming!)**


	3. The Pressure Is On

**Heyy… so, here's chapter three… obviously…**

**Thanks to: The Anonymous Reviewer and rowellylovesgryffindor**

**So… this chapter is spread over one week… from Monday to Friday…**

**Disclaimer: I own Mia and… no one else**

**I would also like you to note that there is hardly any knowledge of the curriculum for seventh year students, so a lot of the stuff done in Mia's lessons will be what I think seventh years would learn… or they might just be things that hadn't been covered in other years by Harry Ron and Hermione. If any spells/potions I name here as being taught in seventh year are actually taught in another one- please tell me… did that make sense?**

**And I found the Screechsnap plant on the Harry Potter Wikia- where it said that fifth years worked with their seedlings… so I thought I'd make seventh years work with the fully grown plants**

Chapter 3: The Pressure Is On

If Mia thought fifth year was bad, it was nothing compared to seventh. In all her lessons, the teachers spent half of the first one speaking about how important their NEWTs were. After every lesson, they walked out with a stack of homework. With the way the teachers talked about the exams, you would think they were next week, not next year.

On the first day of term, Mia was pulled from her dream about flying rainbow-coloured cats by Angelina, who was shaking lightly on her shoulder. "huh?" she said, groggily.

"If you sleep any longer, you'll be late," Angelina told her. Mia groaned.

"C'mon, Mia!" Alicia chirped from the other side of the room, pulling on her robes.

"We'd better have some good lessons today," Mia muttered, rolling out of bed, "OW!"

"What?" Angelina asked.

"I just stood on one of my shoes!" Mia said, sitting back down on her bed and massaged her foot, throwing the heeled sandal across the room.

Mia, Angelina and Alicia went down into the common room where Fred and George were waiting. "Finally! We thought you'd already left!" Fred exclaimed.

"Then we remembered Mia would never get up before she absolutely had to, and therefore couldn't possibly be earlier then us," George said.

"Oh, shut up!" Mia replied, yawning.

They entered the Great Hall five minutes later and McGonagall stalked up to them.

"I was starting to think you five wouldn't show up to your lessons today!" she said briskly, "here are your schedules," she handed them each a slip of parchment, "do _not_ be late."

"I'll see you guys later," Mia murmured to Angelina, Alicia and Katie as her, Fred and George trotted away, eyes skimming over their timetables. "Double Herbology first…" Mia said, "Free period after break… Charms after lunch then another free period… no double Potions _at all_! Oh, wait… on Friday. DAMN!"

"Seems alright," Fred commented as she shoved her timetable in her bag.

"'Cept for the Potions," Mia shrugged.

"-Binns, Snape, Trelawney and that Umbridge woman all in one day! I wish Fred and George'd hurry up and get those Skiving Snackboxes sorted," they overheard Ron say as they neared him, Harry and Hermione

"Do mine ears deceive me?" Fred asked, and sat down next to Harry. "Hogwarts prefects surely don't wish to skive off lessons?"

"Look what we've got today," Ron complained, throwing his timetable at Fred, "That's the worst Monday I've ever seen!"

"Fair point, little bro," Fred read over Ron's timetable as Mia sat down "You can have a bit of Nosebleed Nougat cheap if you like."

"Why's it cheap?" Ron asked warily.

"Because you'll keep bleeding till you shrivel up, we haven't got an antidote yet," George said

"Cheers," said Ron "but I think I'll take the lessons."

"And speaking of your Skiving Snackboxes," Hermione said in a business like voice, "you can't advertise for testers on the Gryffindor notice board."

"Says who?" asked George.

"Says me," said Hermione bossily, "…And Ron," she added as an afterthought.

"Leave me out of it!"

"You'll be singing a different tune soon enough, Hermione," said Fred, "You're starting your fifth year; you'll be begging us for a Snackbox before long."

"And why would starting fifth year mean I want a Skiving Snackbox?" asked Hermione.

"Fifth year's OWL year," George told her.

"So?" Hermione asked.

"So you've got your exams coming up, haven't you? They'll be keeping your noses so hard to that grindstone they'll be rubbed raw," said Fred.

"Half our year had minor breakdowns coming up to OWLs," said George. "Tears and tantrums- Patricia Stimpson kept coming over faint,"

"Kenneth Towler came out in boils, d'you remember?" Fred grinned.

"That's 'cause you put Bulbadox powder in his pyjamas," George told him.

"Oh yeah, I'd forgotten. Hard to keep track sometimes, isn't it?"

Rolling her eyes, Mia said, "I lost so much sleep trying to revise!"

"Anyway, it's a nightmare of a year, the fifth," said George. "If you care about exam results, anyway, like Mia-"

"Only the ones that mattered," she cut across him, looking over at Ron, "my advice: choose what ones you want to fail."

"But Fred and I managed to keep our peckers up somehow," George finished off his sentence.

"Yeah, you got, what was it, three OWLs each?" Ron asked.

"Yep," said Fred cheerily. "But we feel our futures lie outside the world of academic achievement."

"We seriously debated whether we were going to bother coming back for our seventh year, now that we've got-" George broke off suddenly and obviously changed what he was originally going to say, "- now that we've got our OWLs. I mean, do we really need NEWTs? But we didn't think Mum could take us leaving school early, not on top of Percy turning out to be the world's biggest prat."

"We're not going to waste our last year here, though," Fred looked around the hall, "We're going to use it to do a bit of market research, find out exactly what the average Hogwarts student requires from a joke shop, carefully evaluate the results of our research, then produce products to fit the demand."

"Which'll probably be the only _real_ work they do this year," Mia said, taking a bite of toast.

"'But where are you going to get the gold to start a joke shop?" Hermione asked. "You're going to need all the ingredients and materials - and premises too,

I suppose." Harry dropped his fork and went under the table to get it back.

"Ask us no questions and we'll tell you no lies, Hermione," Fred told her. Hermione just looked at him with her brow furrowed and a frown on her face. The bell rang and Mia finished off her toast.

"Right, well, I have Herbology…" Mia said, standing up and leaving the Great Hall. The twins followed her and left her to go up to Gryffindor Tower as Mia trotted along to the greenhouses.

Professor Sprout spent the first hour of their double lesson going on about NEWTs. How important they were, what kind of questions might come up in them, what they were going to do to prepare and things like that. Then they had to try and re-pot a Screechsnap plant, because they had become too big for their original pots. The plants seemed to be much larger then they were when Mia worked with them in her fifth year (when they were only seedlings), but by the end of the lesson, she was sure she had the exact same plant as she'd had in fifth year. It was just as fussy, and squeaked and squirmed if she put just a speck to much dragon manure fertilizer on it, or had just a speck less- just as the one she'd had had done in fifth year.

She walked out of the greenhouse with the task of writing an essay on how the properties of the Screechsnap plant change as it grows and matures.

When Mia got back to the common room with a couple of books from the library that evening, she saw Fred and George with some first years around them. She walked over to them, dumped her books and bag on the table and asked, "Testers?"

"Yep," Fred replied, letting the first years take something out of a paper bag, "alright then, take a bite!" he told them brightly. The first years warily took a bite out of the sweet and one bye one, they all slumped. A tiny girl with dark hair in the chair next to her slid onto the floor.

"That's enough!" Fred and George looked up in surprise as Hermione stalked over to them.

"Yeah, you're right," George said, shrugging, "this dosage looks strong enough, doesn't it?" Fred nodded.

"I told you this morning, you can't test your rubbish on students!" Hermione told them shrilly.

"We're paying them!" Fred exclaimed.

"I don't care, it could be dangerous!"

"Rubbish," Fred scoffed.

"God, Hermione, it's alright!" Mia told her, even though she wasn't entirely her statement was true. She hadn't actually seen Fred and George's Skiving Snackboxes work yet.

"Yeah, look, they're coming round now," George pointed to the first years.

They were starting to sit up, looking shocked at seeing themselves on the floor or over the edge of their chairs. Mia helped a titchy boy to get back onto his chair.

"Feel all right?" George asked the girl with dark hair lying next to Mia as she helped her up as well.

"I… I think so," she said shakily.

"Excellent," said Fred, clapping his hands together. Hermione huffed.

"It is NOT excellent!" she almost shrieked. Several people around them looked up form whatever they were doing.

"'Course it is, they're alive, aren't they?" Fred said, jabbing his fingers at the first years, a few of which were now slipping away.

"You can't do this," Hermione yelled, "what if you made one of them really ill?"

"We're not going to make them ill," George told her.

"Even if they did," Mia said, "I could do something to make them bet-"

"You're not even a real Healer yet, Mia!" Hermione turned on her, and Mia raised her eyebrows and stuck her hand on her hip. Before she could say anything, Fred cut across her.

"We've already tested them all on ourselves, Hermione; this is just to see if everyone reacts the same–"

"If you don't stop doing it, I'm going to–"

"Put us in detention?" Fred asked.

"Make us write lines?" said George, smirking.

"No," Hermione said, drawing herself up, "but I will write to your mother."

"You wouldn't," George said in a horrified voice. Mia pressed her lips together to stop herself from laughing.

"Oh, yes, I would! I can't stop you eating the stupid things yourselves, but you're not to give them to the first-years." The last of the first years was now timidly edging around Mia.

Hermione gave them one last warning look before stalking away. After a second, a slight laugh escaped Mia's lips. "What?" Fred asked, irritated.

"If that's how you react to just the _threat_ of your mother, I'd love to see what happens when she's _actually_ yelling at you!"

In addition to their single Charms lesson on Monday afternoon, Mia, Fred and George also had a double lesson on Wednesday after noon. Flitwick had already lectured them on the NEWTs on Monday (during which Fred and George didn't seem to pay any attention to).

When they sat down, they noticed several bowls full of scrunched up bits of parchment. Mia picked up one of the pieces and tossed it from hand to hand for a second before dropping it in the bowl as Flitwick started speaking.

"Right, today we are doing the spell _I__ncendio_. Like so," Flitwick flicked his wand over his own bowl of parchment, saying "_I__ncendio_!" and the parchment in the bowl burst into flames. Mia's eyebrows raised as Flitwick put out the flames. "Well have a go then!" Flitwick squeaked. The class immediately set off, trying to set their parchment alight. One Ravenclaw across the room managed it on the first go.

"You should be able to do this, Mia," Fred said, "remember last year when we were doing _Aguamenti _and you set the bowl on fire instead of pouring water into it?"

"I have absolutely _no_ idea how I did that," Mia muttered, before pointing her wand at the parchment, "_I__ncendio_!" she said. Nothing happened. Fred suddenly coughed, which was obviously him failing to hold back a laugh. "Alright, you try it then!"

"All right, I will! _I__ncendio_!" nothing happed to Fred's parchment either.

"HA!" Mia jabbed her finger at him, and he stuck his tongue out at her.

"Oh, very mature!"

"I know."

For the twenty-second time, Mia pointed her wand at the still un-burnt parchment and said "_I__ncendio_!" her eyes suddenly widened when the parchment was set ablaze. "BOOYAH!" she yelled, punching the air.

"Show-off," Fred said sulkily, then grinned.

They walked out of the room having to do an essay on how to control the fire.

As they were walking down the corridor towards dinner, Katie came running up to them. "Did you hear?" she asked.

"Hear what?" George asked as he slipped an arm around Mia's waist.

"Apparently Harry and that new Defense Against the dark Arts teacher, y'know, Umbridge? Apparently they had this big, massive fight right in the middle of the classroom! Loads of shouting and everything! Apparently she's not letting any of her classes do any magic and all the lessons are just theory and reading from books!"

"What? Really?" Mia asked.

"Mhm, something about a 'Ministry approved course'," Katie said.

"Well, that kinda ruins the whole point of Defense Against the Dark Arts, doesn't it?" Fred said, "Defense Against the Dark Arts… learn defensive magic… kinda speaks for itself!"

"I know," Katie sighed as they entered the Great Hall, "I've got her first thing tomorrow, when have you got her?"

"… Friday… after lunch," Mia replied after pulling her timetable out if her pocket and checking it as they sat down.

Katie wasn't wrong. When they got to the classroom the following Friday afternoon, Professor Umbridge was standing at the front of the class, smiling sweetly with her hands clasped in front of her. Mia, Fred and George glanced at each other as they sat down. Finally, everyone had shuffled into the class and Umbridge smiled even more.

"Good afternoon!" she said in a happy, high voice.

"Afternoon," a couple people at the back of the classroom replied.

"Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear, that was _not_ good enough! Whenever I greet you, I expect you to reply! Once again now! Good afternoon!"

"Good afternoon," the class said back.

"Oh, now isn't that _much_ better?" Umbridge said. Mia just stared at her. She was acting a bit like some pantomime character. "Now, I would like you all to put your wands away please, and take your quills and books out," several people groaned, but did what she said. Once the movement had died down, she carried one.

"I understand that this year, you will be taking your NEWTs. Is that correct?" a few people mumbled. "When I ask you a question, please reply with 'yes' or 'no' followed by 'Professor Umbridge'. Now, is that correct?"

"Yes, Professor Umbridge."

"Very good. Now, this year we will be covering a few new topics, and then revising many of the topics you have learned in your previous years, in order to prepare yourselves- yes, Mr…?" everyone in the room looked back to the Ravenclaw boy with his hand in the air.

"Gennish…" the boy replied.

"Yes Mr Gennish?" Umbridge asked his sweetly.

"Well… I've heard from many other classes that we aren't going to be doing any proper magic or spell work this year and only doing theory I was just wondering that was true?" he drew in a big breath and Umbridge seemed to smile even wider.

"Yes, Mr Gennish, that is true. It is the Ministry's understanding that if there is no threat, which there is not, then there is no need to learn the spells, and the theory is enough," she spoke as if the class was full of three year olds, not seventeen year olds.

"But what about the practical part in our exams?" Gennish asked.

"If you study the theory, you will be able to perform the spells for your exams, otherwise, there is no need for them!" before Gennish could say anymore, Umbridge had walked away. "Now, please open your books to the first chapter, and read," Umbridge sat down at her desk and slowly, everyone in the room started to read.

Five minutes later, a scrap of parchment slid under her nose.

_Did that make ANY sense to you at all?_

Mia looked up at Umbridge, who was looking around the class, still smiling. She quickly scribbled down a reply:

_Obviously she doesn't want us to know any spells_

She slid it back across the table. The conversation went on:

_Fred: yeah, we figured that. But why?_

_Mia: I dunno_

_George: so we don't know them?_

_Mia: why doesn't she WANT us to know them?_

_George: dunno_

_Fred: incase we decide she's so bad and then blow her up?_

_Mia: like that cabinet last year?_

The parchment was snatched from her fingers as she went to slide it back over the table. She looked up slowly and saw Umbridge standing there, reading what they had been writing. The twins were looking up at her too.

"I would appreciate it if you did not pass notes in my lesson, Miss…?"

"Homing. Mia Homing.

"And Mr…?"

"Weasley," Fred and George replied.

"Yes, please do not pass notes in my lesson. There is another time for conversing," Umbridge smiled and walked away, tearing up the note.

"That. Was. So. Bad!" Mia said as they walked out of the room at the end of the lesson. They had learned nothing, and walked away with yet _another_ essay.

"It would've been better if you hadn't got caught!" Fred retorted.

"Not my fault she decided to come snoop around," she muttered.

"Yeah, well, we'll just have to find other ways to amuse ourselves during those lessons," George said, slinging his arm around her.

"Just get those Skiving Snackboxes up and running, ok!" She replied.

**So… ****I know I didn't really put any fights/arguments/whatever you want to call it with Umbridge in here, but' I'm saving them for later…**

**And on the subject of Umbridge, I hope I wrote her properly…**

**Please review!**


	4. Weird

**Hiya! Welcome to chapter 4!**

**Thanks to: Rowellylovesgryffindor and the Anon who reviewed**

**Disclaimer: I only own Mia and blah, blah, blah… and I got the Aconite plant from the Harry Potter Wikia… and I made up the Curatio Sero…**

**Oh, and this is probably set during the second week of term…**

Chapter 4: Weird

Mia, Angelina, George, Katie, Alicia and Fred all sat at the Gryffindor table. They had managed to get onto the subject of Ron's Keeping skills for the sixth time since the first Quidditch practice.

"-And the Slytherins weren't helping _at all_!" Angelina was saying, "and neither are you two!" she pointed at Fred and George.

"What've we done?" Fred exclaimed, with a spoonful of porridge halfway to his mouth.

"You're taking the mick out of him at every possible moment!" Angelina told him, then sighed and shook her head. Fred scoffed.

"It's not really gunna boost his confidence, though, is-" Mia cut off as a third year just down the table put down a copy of the Daily Prophet.

"_Is_… what?" Fred said. Mia ignored him and snatched up the paper, the third year looked at her astounded, but Mia ignored him too. She just read the article under the massive picture of Umbridge and her pink cardigan and too-sweet smile.

"What is it?" Katie asked, reading over Mia's shoulder, "WHAT?" she almost yelled.

"What does it say?" asked Fred, who was just faced with the back-page news.

Mia read:

"_MINISTRY SEEKS EDUCATIONAL REFORM, DOLORES UMBRIDGE APPOINTED FIRST EVER HIGH INQUISITOR_

"_The Minister has been growing uneasy about goings-on at Hogwarts for some time," said junior Assistant to the Minister, Percy Weasley-"_

She glanced up at Fred and George, who had narrowed their eyes slightly. She read on:

"_He is now responding to concerns voiced by anxious parents, who feel the school may be moving in a direction they do not approve of."_

_This is not the first time in recent weeks that the Minister, Cornelius Fudge, has used new laws to effect improvements at the Wizarding School. As recently as 30__th__ August, Educational Decree Number Twenty-two was passed, to ensure that, in the event of the current Headmaster being unable to provide a candidate for a teaching post, the Ministry should select an appropriate person. "That's how Dolores Umbridge came to be appointed to the teaching staff at Hogwarts," said Weasley last night. "Dumbledore couldn't find anyone so the Minister put in Umbridge, and of course, she's been an immediate success, totally revolutionising the teaching of Defence Against the Dark Arts and providing the Minister with on-the-ground feedback about what's really happening at Hogwarts."_

_It is this last function that the Ministry has now formalised with the passing of Educational Decree Number Twenty-three, which creates the new position of Hogwarts High Inquisitor._

"_This is an exciting new phase in the Minister's plan to get to grips with what some are calling the falling standards at Hogwarts," said Weasley. The Inquisitor will have powers to inspect her fellow educators and make sure that they are coming up to scratch. Professor Umbridge has been offered this position in addition to her own teaching post and we are delighted to say that she has accepted._

"It goes on to slag off half of our other teachers," Mia finished.

"Umbridge is going to be inspecting our lessons?" Alicia asked as Mia slapped the paper down back in front of the third year.

"Apparently so."

When Mia walked into her Herbology class, she spotted Umbridge standing just behind the spot Mia usually used. Her wide eyes flicked around quickly, trying to see an empty space she could use instead, there were none. She blew a strand of hair out her face and walked over to her spot, where there was a small tray with a large plant growing out of it and a bucket.

As Sprout walked into the greenhouse, Umbridge moved around Mia and said, "good morning, Professor Sprout."

"Ah, Dolores! I assume you are here for my inspection?" Sprout asked cheerily.

"Yes, I am," Umbridge smiled.

"Very well. May I start my lesson or…?"

"No, no, please. Act as if I am not here," Umbridge moved to another corner by a tall Hufflepuff girl, who edged away ever so slowly.

As they trimmed the flowers from the Aconite (while trying to avoid the toxic leaves), Umbridge walked around the class, asking people questions. She asked the tall Hufflepuff girl weather they often worked with toxic plants, to which she gave a short, stuttered reply to.

At the end of the lesson, Mia walked quickly out if the greenhouse, shoving her book in her bag and stepping around Umbridge, who was telling Sprout when she'd get the 'results of her inspection'.

Mia trotted into the Entrance Hall and up to Gryffindor tower. "_Mimbulus Mimbletonia_," she muttered to the Fat Lady, who was looking over her finger nails.

"Hmm?" she glanced up, "Oh, yes, yes…" she swung open and went back to her nails.

"Alright, Mia!" Fred called from a chair, his back facing her.

"How'd ya know it was me?" she asked, making her way over to them.

"He didn't," George replied, "he's been doing that to the last six people that came in. They looked at him like he was a right weirdo."

"They wouldn't be wrong," Mia sat down, then said, "We just had Umbridge inspecting our lesson." she said, grimly.

"How'd it go?"

"She stood in the corner, wrote on a clipboard, asked a couple of people some questions. But Sprout picked the wrong day to get us to study Aconite," she replied as she pulled her Transfiguration book out of her bag.

"Why?" Fred asked vaguely, he didn't have a clue what an _Aconite_ was.

"Well, the leaves are toxic, ain't they?"

"Are they?" George asked. Mia sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Yes. We were cutting off all the flowers- which are used in potions. But the leaves are toxic- not much, but still…" she trailed off.

"Sprout'll be fine," Fred told her.

"She'd better be," Mia replied, opening her Transfiguration book, "'cause I don't know who else'd be able to teach Herbology." She started absentmindedly scribbling down notes for her homework.

A few days later, Mia, Angelina, Alicia and Katie sat around a table in to common room.

"What's a Curatio Sero?" Mia asked, pausing as she did her Potions homework.

"Dunno. I left that bit out," Angelina replied. Mia flicked through her book for a second, but couldn't find any reference to the Curatio Sero.

"HERMIONE!" she yelled across the common room.

"_Mia_!" Katie hissed.

"What?" Mia asked, before turning around again. "WHAT'S A CURATIO SERO?" on the other side of the room, Hermione sighed and stood up, walking over to her.

"What's a what?" she asked.

"A Curatio Sero."

"It's a plant. It's really rare and if you rub the leaves over an open wound it numbs it and clears up any infection that might have set in. But you can only find it in really hot, wet climates, like the rain forest," Hermione finished.

"Cheers," Mia said as she finished copying down what Hermione had said. Hermione rolled her eyes and went back to sitting with Ron.

"Hello, ladies," Fred said as he and George pulled up a couple of chairs and sat down.

"Where've you been?" Alicia asked.

"Now _that_, Alicia, is our own little secr-"

"They've been testing their stuff out of first years," Mia cut him off, not taking her eyes off her parchment

"Damn, you know us too well!" Fred complained.

Five minutes later, Mia cocked her head and said, "and I think…" she dotted a full stop "that I am done!" she looked up and stretched.

"Me too," Angelina said, "what's the time?"

"Half ten," George said, glancing at his watch.

"Right, well, I'm shattered, so I'm going to bed." Angelina stood up, bid them goodnight, and left.

Over the next half hour, the common room emptied. A group of giggling sixth year girls went first, followed by some third years and then two fifth year boys. Katie went to bed after she finished her astronomy homework, Ginny walked past them on her way upstairs with one of her friends, and Ron soon followed. Hermione and Alicia started packing up their things at the same time, and headed upstairs together. A sixth year boy stormed off to bed after he lost a game of Gobstones, and his friend followed seconds after, smirking and muttering something about a bad looser. When Mia decided George's lap would be comfier then her chair, Fred rolled his eyes and left too.

George started twisting Mia's hair around his fingers and slipped the other arm around her waist. She sighed and leaned back into him and closing her eyes. "This is… weird…" she said.

"What?"  
"Just a bit."

"How so?" George asked. Under her eyelids, he could see her eyes flicker a bit as she thought of what to say.

"Well," her eyes opened and she sat up, twisting round so she was facing him, "it was around this time last year… that we were standing in a broom cupboard hiding from Filch… and… it was all kinda… awkward back then… and now…" she trailed off, shrugging, looking back to him.

"It's different?" he supplied.

"Yeah," she smiled and he smiled back.

With one hand, George laced his fingers through hers, and with the other, trailed his fingertips down from her temple to her jaw. They stayed like that for a second, before they both leaned in and pressed their lips together. She slowly brought her free hand up, brushing it along his arm, and rested it lightly on his shoulder.

When they parted, Mia smiled slightly. "It's weird…" she said, "but in a good way."

"Yeah, I know how you feel…"

**Oooooooo, Mia's just said its weird… where will that lead us? Well, you ain't gunna find out… **_**yet**_**! Hehehe! So, if you want to find out:**

**Please review!**


	5. Dirty Butterbeer Bottles

**Why, **_**hellooooo**_**, there!**

**Thanks to my the immense people who reviewed: Sam, Bug-Eyes-Blue and the Anon.**

**Disclaimer: Mia is mine. No one else is.**

**So… this chapter takes place around the beginning of October…**

Chapter 5: Dirty Butterbeer Bottles

"Hey! Hey! OI!" Ginny came running up behind Mia.

"Yeah?" Mia asked, turning around.

"I just got told by Hermione that next Hogsmeade weekend, we should all go to a pub called the Hog's Head."

"…where's the Hog's head?"

"Erm…" Ginny said, "I _think_ she said it was at the very end of the village…"

"_Right_… and she happen to mention _why_?"

"Erm… nope… she just said to meet her there… oh! And to tell Fred and George…"

"O…k…" Mia replied. Ginny smiled and Mia headed off to Herbology with her brow furrowed.

That Saturday, Mia, Fred and George traipsed down the long road in Hogsmeade village, wind whipping around their faces. Mia had pulled her hair back in a plait to keep it off her face.

"So where's this… Hog's Head place?" Fred asked, looking around.

"Ginny said it was at the end of the village… here!" Mia pointed to a rather small, dingy looking building with severed boars head sign swinging in the wind.

"Looks cheery!" Fred said as Mia peered through the door

"It's packed!" she exclaimed. Fred pushed her back and she rolled her eyes, stepping into the pub.

"Hi," said Fred, as he pushed through the crowd and got to the bar, where an old man was standing stock-still. He quickly counted everyone, then said, "could we have twenty-five Butterbeers, please?"

The old man just stared some more, and slammed the dirty cloth he was using down on the bar and started to deal out bottles of Butterbeer. Mia took hers and looked over the bottle carefully… it was a very dusty bottle.

"Cheers," said Fred, "Cough up, everyone, I haven't got enough gold for all of these," Mia handed over a couple of coins.

Within minutes, everyone had sat down around Harry, Ron and Hermione. There was a girl with dirty blonde hair sitting in a chair next to Mia, who was staring at nothing in particular, and George sat on her other side.

"Hi, Harry," she heard Neville Longbottom say from the front of the group. For a second, everyone was silent, then Hermione spoke.

"Er… well… er… hi." Mia looked over at her with the rest of the group, casually trying to clean the top of her Butterbeer bottle with the sleeve of her jumper.

"Well… erm… well, you know why you're here. Erm… well, Harry here had the idea - I mean, _I _had the idea… that it might be good if people who wanted to study Defence Against the Dark Arts… and I mean, really study it, you know, not the rubbish that Umbridge is doing with us, because nobody could call that Defence Against the Dark Arts –"

"Hear, hear," said a Ravenclaw in front of Mia, and Hermione smiled a bit.

"Well, I thought it would be good if we, well, took matters into our own hands. And by that I mean learning how to defend ourselves properly, not just in theory but doing the real spells –"

"You want to pass your Defence Against the Dark Arts OWL too, though, I bet?" a boy asked.

"Of course I do!" Hermione replied, "But more than that, I want to be properly trained in defence because… because… because Lord Voldemort is back."

People all around the room suddenly made odd sounds or movements, and Mia's eyebrows shot up as she stopped trying to clean the grime from her bottle. It was the first time she'd ever heard Hermione say that.

"Well, that's the plan, anyway" Hermione continued, "If you want to join us, we need to decide how we're going to –"

"Where's the proof You-Know-Who's back?" said a Hufflepuff boy, and Mia glanced over to him.

"Well, Dumbledore believes it-"

"You mean, Dumbledore believes him," the boy jerked his head at Harry.

"Who are you?" Ron suddenly said, glaring at the boy.

"Zacharias Smith. And I think we've got the right to know exactly what makes him say You-Know-Who's back."

"Look," Hermione said sternly "that's really not what this meeting was supposed to be about- "

'It's OK, Hermione,' Harry said suddenly. Everybody in the room looked at him. "What makes me say You-Know-Who's back? I saw him. But Dumbledore told the whole school what happened last year, and if you didn't believe him, you won't believe me, and I'm not wasting an afternoon trying to convince anyone."

Zacharias Smith did not seem to think this was a suitable answer. "All Dumbledore told us last year was that Cedric Diggory got killed by You-Know-Who and that you brought Diggory's body back to Hogwarts. He didn't give us details, he didn't tell us exactly how Diggory got murdered, I think we'd all like to know-"

"If you've come to hear exactly what it looks like when Voldemort murders someone I can't help you," Harry said, "I don't want to talk about Cedric Diggory, all right? So if that's what you're here for, you might as well clear out."

Mia smirked as Zacharias Smith's eyes narrowed, but he didn't say anything more. She went to lift her bottle to her lips, then remembered that it wasn't actually open, and went back to scratching the dirt form it.

"So," Hermione said, in a high voice, "So… like I was saying… if you want to learn some defence, then we need to work out how we're going to do it, how often we're going to meet and where we're going to-"

"Is it true," said a girl suddenly, "that you can produce a Patronus?" a few people in the group muttered.

"Yeah" said Harry, with a defensive tone in his voice.

"A corporeal Patronus?" the girl asked.

"Er- you don't know Madam Bones, do you?" Harry asked.

"She's my auntie," said the girl, smiling, "I'm Susan Bones. She told me about your hearing. So- is it really true? You make a stag Patronus?"

"Yes," Harry replied. Again, people around the room muttered, looking impressed.

"Mum told Ron not to spread it around," said Fred as he grinned, "She said you got enough attention as it was."

"She's not wrong," Harry muttered, and a couple of people laughed.

"And did you kill a Basilisk with that sword in Dumbledore's office?" someone asked, "That's what one of the portraits on the wall told me when I was in there last year!"

"Er- yeah, I did, yeah," said Harry. Someone whistled.

"And in our first year," Neville said with an air of awe, "he saved that Philological Stone-"

"Philosopher's," Hermione hissed.

"Yes, that, from You-Know-Who!"

"And that's not to mention," Cho Chang said, "the tasks he had to get through in the Triwizard Tournament last year- getting past dragons and merpeople and Acromantula and things."

As people around them muttered, Mia saw Harry's face go slightly red, and she bit back a smirk.

"Look," he said once his face had returned to normal colour. "I… I don't want to sound like I'm trying to be modest or anything, but… I had a lot of help with all that stuff-"

"Not with the dragon, you didn't," someone cut in, "That was a seriously cool bit of flying."

"Yeah, well-"

"And nobody helped you get rid of those Dementors this summer," said Susan Bones.

"No-" said Harry.

"_Or_ with that Basilisk," Mia cut him off.

"Ok!" Harry said loudly, "I know I did bits without help, but the point I'm trying to make is-"

"Are you trying to weasel out of showing us any of this stuff?" said Zacharias Smith cut him off.

"Here's an idea" Ron told him rudely, "why don't you shut your mouth?"

"Well," Zacharias said, "We've all turned up to learn from him and now he's telling us he can't really do any of it," he said. Mia looked at him with a kind of ferocity in her eyes.

"That's not what he said," Fred sneered.

"Would you like us to clean out your ears for you?" George asked as he took something long and metal out of a Zonko's bag.

"Or any part of your body, really," Fred said, "we're not fussy where we stick this." Zacharias Smith looked at the three of them glowering at him and pressed his lips together.

"Yes, well," Hermione said quickly, "moving on… the point is, are we agreed we want to take lessons from Harry?" people around the room murmured, "Right, well, then, the next question is how often we do it. I really don't think there's any point in meeting less than once a week-"

"Hang on," Angelina said suddenly, "we need to make sure this doesn't clash with our Quidditch practice."

"No, nor with ours," Cho Chang said.

"Nor ours," Zacharias said, with a rather moody undertone.

"I'm sure we can find a night that suits everyone," Hermione replied, slightly exasperated, "but you know, this _is_ rather important, we're talking about learning to defend ourselves against V-Voldemort's Death Eaters-"

"Well said!" exclaimed a boy in Hufflepuff, "Personally, I think this is really important, possibly more important than anything else we'll do this year, even with our OWLs coming up!" the boy had a rather posh voice. When no one spoke, he carried on, "I, personally, am at a loss to see why the Ministry has foisted such a useless teacher on us at this critical period. Obviously, they are in denial about the return of You-Know-Who, but to give us a teacher who is trying to actively prevent us from using defensive spells-"

"We think the reason Umbridge doesn't want us trained in Defence Against the Dark Arts," said Hermione, "is that she's got some mad idea that Dumbledore could use the students in the school as a kind of private army. She thinks he'd mobilise us against the Ministry." Everyone in the room stared at her.

"Well, that makes sense," the blonde girl next to Mia had just spoken, "After all; Cornelius Fudge has got his own private army…" Mia gawked at her for a second.

"What?" Harry asked.

"Yes, he's got an army of Heliopaths," the blonde girl said in a grave voice.

"No, he hasn't," Hermione told her harshly.

"Yes, he has," the girl replied.

"What are Heliopaths?" asked Neville. Mia had a feeling she was not the only person in the room who was about to ask the exact same question.

"They're spirits of fire," the girl breathed, looking off into space with an awed expression, "great, tall, flaming creatures that gallop across the ground burning everything in front of-"

"They don't exist, Neville," Hermione snapped

"Oh, yes, they do!" the girl snapped back.

"I'm sorry, but where's the proof of that?"

"There are plenty of eye-witness accounts. Just because you're so narrow-minded you need to have everything shoved under your nose before you –"

"Hem, hem," Mia jumped, along with everyone else in the room, and snapped her head around, relieved to find it was Ginny, and not Umbridge. "Weren't we trying to decide how often we're going to meet and have defence lessons?"

"Yes, yes, we were, you're right, Ginny," Hermione said.

"Once a week seems good enough," Mia said, still trying to scrape the dirt off her bottle.

"As long as-"

"Yes, yes, we know about the Quidditch," Hermione told Angelina, "Well, the other thing to decide is where we're going to meet." Nobody seemed to be able to think of an answer to this.

"Library?" Katie proposed.

"I can't see Madam Pince being too chuffed with us doing jinxes in the library," said Harry glumly.

"Maybe an unused classroom?" Dean Thomas provided.

"Yeah," Ron said excitedly, "McGonagall might let us have hers; she did when Harry was practising for the Triwizard!"

"Even if McGonagall _did_ let us use a classroom, do you really think we'd all fit?" Mia said, "With all of us throwing jinxes and spells everywhere?"

"Right, well, we'll try to find somewhere. We'll send a message round to everybody when we've got a time and a place for the first meeting," Hermione said, and then she pulled a piece of parchment and a quill out of her bag. "I… I think everybody should write their name down, just so we know who was here. But I also think… that we all ought to agree not to shout about what we're doing. So if you sign, you're agreeing not to tell Umbridge or anybody else what we're up to."

Fred instantly took the list and scratched his name down.

"Er…" said Zacharias as Mia wrote down her name and passed it George, who wrote down his, then tried to give it to Zacharias. "Well… I'm sure Ernie will tell me when the meeting is…" the Hufflepuff boy with the posh voice was eyeing the parchment suspiciously too, so Mia guessed this was Ernie.

"I… well, we are prefects!" he said, "And if this list was found… well, I mean to say… you said yourself, if Umbridge finds out-"

"You just said this group was the most important thing you'd do this year," Harry said, with a slightly angry tone.

"I… yes, yes, I do believe that, it's just-"

"Ernie," Hermione said, popping her hip out, "do you really think I'd leave that list lying around?" she nodded at the parchment.

"No. No, of course not. I- yes, of course I'll sign," Ernie took the parchment and wrote his name.

Finally, the list made its way back to Hermione and she scanned it with her eyes, checking that everybody really had signed, and then put it back in her bag.

"Right… anything else?" Mia asked.

"No," Hermione said.

"Good. Lets go, boys." She stood up and made her way towards the door. When she got outside, she peered at her still un-opened Butterbeer bottle. She did not seem to have moved even a single speck of dirt.

"Well, this is useless," she muttered. When she, Fred and George got back to the normal part of the village, she shoved it into some random third year's hands and said, "Here! Don't drink it."

**So… yes, I understand that most of this chapter is copied from the book… but you gotta admit, it **_**is**_** a pretty important chapter, weather in the actual book, Fanfiction, or anything else… it just **_**has**_** to be put in!**

**So... please review!**


	6. Realization

**Heyy… so… because the last chapter was mostly from the book and probably quite boring, I decided to put some extra effort in and get another one up today, and my effort paid off**

**Just a short chapter here, but it is quite important**

**Thanks to: Sam for reviewing**

**Disclaimer: if I owned Harry Potter, would I be writing Fanfiction? But I do own Mia**

**So, this chapter takes place between the meeting in the Hog's Head and Dumbledore's Army's first meeting…**

Chapter 6: Realization

The following Monday, Mia, Angelina, Alicia, Fred and George stood in front of the Gryffindor notice bored, moody expressions on their faces. Other kids were milling around them as well, looking at the massive sign.

"Hey, guys. What's up?" Katie came up behind them.

"_That_!" Mia muttered, jerking her head at the sign.

BY ORDER OF THE HIGH INQUISITOR OF HOGWARTS

All student organisations, societies, teams, groups and clubs are henceforth disbanded.

An organisation, society, team, group or club is hereby defined as a regular meeting of three or more students.

Permission to re-form may be sought from the High Inquisitor (Professor Umbridge).

No student organisation, society, team, group or club may exist without the knowledge and approval of the High Inquisitor.

Any student found to have formed, or to belong to, an organisation, society, team, group or club that has not been approved by the High Inquisitor will be expelled.

The above is in accordance with Educational Decree Number Twenty-four.

Signed: Dolores Jane Umbridge, High Inquisitor

"What?" Katie hissed.

"Someone told her," George said, shaking his head.

"Who d'ya reckon it was?" Angelina asked.

"Could've been anyone," Alicia replied.

"Bet it was that Zachary Smith," Fred said darkly.

"Zacharias Smith, Fred, but you're right. That would be the best guess," Mia said, crossing her arms. Suddenly, Angelina gasped.

"What?" they all said at the same time.

"_Quidditch_!" she breathed.

"What about it?"

"The Gryffindor Quidditch _team_! We're going to have to go ask her to re-form!" Angelina complained. Fred, George, Alicia and Katie all looked at each other.

"Well, good luck with that," Mia told them solemnly.

"I think I'm going to go find Harry. Tell him not to get any more detentions or we definitely won't be able to play anymore. The first match is next _month_ as well!" Angelina started muttering as she walked away. Alicia and Katie glanced at each other before following her.

Ginny came out of the crowd of milling students. "What are we going to do?" she asked, looking up at them.

"We'll go find Harry. Ask him about it… I'm sure he's seen it already," Mia said.

"Right," Ginny nodded.

When they were half way across the Entrance Hall, they were joined by Neville and Dean Thomas, both of whom looked anxious. "We're going to find Harry," Dean said.

"Us too," Mia replied. When they got to the Great Hall, they all looked over to the Gryffindor table, where they were relived to find Harry sitting down with Ron and Hermione. They all hurried over to the table and sat down around the three.

"Did you see it?" Ginny asked.

"D'you reckon she knows?" Neville said.

"What are we going to do?" Dean enquired.

"We're going to do it anyway of course," Harry replied in a low voice, and Mia grinned.

"Knew you'd say that," George said.

"The prefects as well?" Fred asked, looking over to Ron and Hermione.

"Of course," Hermione replied evenly.

"Here come Ernie and Hannah Abbott," Ron said, peering down the table, "And those Ravenclaw blokes and Smith- and no one looks very spotty."

"What?" Mia asked, but no one answer her, and Hermione started throwing her arms around wildly.

"Never mind spots, the idiots can't come over here now, it'll look really suspicious- sit down! Later! We'll. Talk. To. You. Later!" hesitating, Hannah and Ernie turned around and went back to the Hufflepuff table.

"I'll tell Michael! The fool, honestly!" Ginny stood up and went over to the Ravenclaw table.

Mia looked up to the staff table, and saw Umbridge watching them with an evil smile set on her face. She went into a fit of fake coughing to disguise slapping Fred, who was next to her, and nodding at Umbridge. Everyone suddenly got into a very deep, very interesting conversation about what they might have for dinner that evening.

Unfortunately for them, George, Mia and Fred had Umbridge first thing. They sat down in their normal seats and pulled out their text books. Umbridge stood up and walked around her desk. "Good morning, class," she said, in her sweet, girly voice.

"Good morning Professor Umbridge," the class chanted back, dully.

"Could you please," Umbridge smiled, "turn to chapter five and make notes as you read" she sat back down as everyone slowly opened their books, flicking through a page at a time until they got to chapter five. Mia read slowly through the theory of jinxes and counter-jinxes. She was sucking lightly on the end on a Sugar Quill and gazed at the page, letting the words turn to fuzzy black lines as her eyes unfocused. Unfortunately, Umbridge seemed to notice.

"Miss Homing." Mia snapped her head up, bringing the Sugar Quill out of her mouth.

"Yes?"

"Yes, Professor Umbridge," she corrected her.

"Yes, Professor Umbridge?" Mia replied.

"May I ask as to why you are not writing any notes?"

"Um…"

"Please, you can tell me the truth. That is a Sugar Quill, isn't I dear?"

"Um…"

"Yes, I believe it is… May I have it?" Umbridge walked over to her and held out her hand. Mia glared at her for a moment before handing over the Quill. "Thank you, dear. Now, please take notes, they may help you with revision for your NEWTs," she smiled, again, and walked away. Mia slammed her foot into George's as he started to laugh.

At the end of the lesson, Umbridge insisted on checking over everyone's notes. After seeming to take for ever to decide that Mia had not done enough notes, therefore needed to do an extra essay on the theory of Jinxes, Mia stormed out of the room. "One of these days," she hissed, "oho, one of these days. She. Is. Going. To. Make. Me. _Snap_!"

That evening, Angelina pulled Mia away from Fred and George half way through dinner. "What? Why?" Mia complained as she was dragged away from the Gryffindor table… and her steak and kidney pie.

"Do you _know_how much homework you've left to the last minute?" Angelina replied, Mia shook her head, "lots! And this _is_ the last minute!" Mia rolled her eyes, but followed Angelina up to the common room, where she had stacked up all her homework up on a table. She was right- there was a lot of homework.

"Effing hell!" Mia muttered.

"Told ya!" Mia looked at all the homework for a minute, before slumping into a chair and picking up the first piece- an essay for Potions. When she was about half way through her second Defence Against the Dark Arts essay, Katie and Alicia joined them, pulling out homework of their own.

"Where're Fred and George?" Mia asked, looking around the common room, hoping someone would come and save her.

"I saw them with a bunch of first years about fifteen minutes ago," Katie shrugged.

"Damn!" Mia mutter, dotting an 'I'.

Eventually, Fred and George _did_ come into the common room, sitting down with the three Chasers and Mia.

"Hello, ladies," Fred said.

"Hi," Mia muttered, moving onto her Herbology essay.

"Awwww, why sounding so depressed, Mia?" Fred asked. Mia rolled her eyes and looked up.

"Do you not _see_ the mountain of homework in front of me?" she asked, gesturing to the 'mountain of homework'.

"You know what?" Fred asked, "I miss the days when you didn't care about homework at all and used to sneak around the castle with us every night."

"Yeah, I miss those days too," Mia replied, scratching down a few words, "I also miss the days when I didn't have NEWTs and a possible future collapse to worry about."

"Mia, you have a whole _year_!" Fred said.

"I don't care! I am _going_ to get these NEWTs and I am _going _to get enough to get to St Mungo's!" she crossed out a word and respell it. Fred opened his mouth again, but Angelina sent him a look and he fell silent.

At about half ten, she finished her last essay- for Transfiguration- and sighed, piling the pieces of parchment on top of each other and throwing her quill down. "Done! Finally!" she kicked her feet up onto the arm of the sofa, and leaned against George, fiddling with her necklace, listening into the conversation that had started while she was still doing her homework.

"-Us reform!" Angelina was complaining.

"What's this?" Mia asked as George's arm went around her waist.

"Quidditch team," Katie said, miserably.

"Oh, right. Why don't you ask McGonagall or somethin'?" Mia suggested. Angelina suddenly looked up at her.

"That's actually a really good idea!"

"…Why do you sound so surprised?" Mia asked. Angelina's eyes flicked for a second, then she cracked a grin.

"I'm only joking. But, really, why didn't _I _think of that? I'll do it tomorrow… right after I wake up!"

"There you go then," Mia said, smiling.

The conversation turned to the Quidditch League, and slowly, Mia felt her eyes getting heavier. When George next looked down at her, her eyes were closed and her hand was now lying limply over the little rose. Angelina seemed to notice too, because she said, "Last to bed wakes her up." and, to make sure it wasn't her, she went to bed a second after she said that.

Subconsciously, George started running his fingers through her hair, glancing down at her every few minutes. When Katie went up to bed, she shifted and her hand fell down to her side. The common room was dark, and he could really only see her face because of the fire and few lamps still alight around the room. Slowly, his eyebrows knitted together, and he brushed a strand of hair off her forehead. Across from him, Fred and Alicia were still talking about the Quidditch League, but he couldn't really hear them.

Because at that moment, George Weasley realized something.

**So… what has George just realized?**

**Please review!**


	7. The Meeting

**Hi! How's you? Good? Well, then…**

**Thanks to: Cherry Tree Blossoms, the Anon, Sam and rowellylovesgryffindor who reviewed**

**So… this chapter mostly takes place during the first DA meeting, but there is some more at the end…**

**So… I have nothing else to say here…**

Chapter 7: The Meeting

"… Ok, I walked down this hallway yesterday… and that door was definitely _not there_!" Mia said as her, Fred and George stood in front of the large, wooden door.

"Well that's good isn't it? It means this has to be the place!" Fred said excitedly and he pushed the door open, striding through it.

"Oh my god…" Mia muttered, staring around at the large room, with bookcases along every wall, cushions stacked in corners and weird-looking instruments. In the middle of the room, a small bunch of people were sitting on cushions. Mia, Fred and George sat down next to Katie, and waited for everyone else to arrive.

Finally, everyone that had been at the Hog's Head got there, and Harry stood up.

"Well," he said, "This is the place we've found for practice sessions, and you've… er… obviously found it OK."

"It's fantastic!" Cho Chang said, and everyone nodded in agreement.

"It's bizarre," Fred said, looking around the room, "We once hid from Filch in here, remember, George? But it was just a broom cupboard then…"

"Hey, Harry!" Dean called, looking at the weird instruments, "what's this stuff?"

"Dark detectors," Harry replied, "basically, they all show when Dark wizards or enemies are around-"

"So if Umbridge turns up anywhere near here," Mia cut in, "we'll know?"

"Yeah, but you don't want to rely on them too much; they can be fooled."

Everyone looked around at the Dark detectors in wonder for a second, and then Harry spoke again.

"Well, I've been thinking about the sort of stuff we ought to do first and… er, what Hermione?" everyone looked back to the front of the room, where Hermione was lowering her hand.

"I think we ought to elect a leader," she said.

"Harry's leader!" Cho said, in a 'duh' voice.

"Yes, but I think we ought to vote on it properly," said Hermione, "it makes it formal and it gives him authority. So- everyone who thinks Harry ought to be our leader?" everyone in the room raised their hands'.

"Yeah, 'cause we're really gunna elect, say, Zacharias Smith as our leader," Mia muttered to Katie, who suppressed a giggle.

"Er… right, thanks," said Harry, who's face had just turned bright red, "And- what, Hermione?" a few people in the room rolled their eyes.

"I also think we ought to have a name! It would promote a feeling of team spirit and unity, don't you think?"

"Can we be the Anti-Umbridge League?" Angelina suggested.

"Or the Ministry of Magic are Morons Group?" Fred said as and a few people in the room snorted.

"I was thinking… more of a name that didn't tell everyone what we were up to, so we can refer to it safely outside meetings," Hermione told him.

"The Defence Association? The DA for short," Cho said, "so nobody knows what we're talking about?"

"Yeah, the DA's good," Ginny mused, looking up at the ceiling, "only let's make it stand for Dumbledore's Army, because that's the Ministry's worst fear, isn't it?" everyone seemed to agree.

"All in favour of the DA?" Hermione counted all the hands that had gone up, "that's a majority- motion passed!" Mia glanced over at Cho, who looked slightly sulky. At the front, Hermione wrote the words _Dumbledore's Army_ on the sheet they had all signed a few days earlier, and stuck it on the wall.

"Right," Harry said, clapping his hands together, "shall we get practising then? I was thinking, the first thing we should do is Expelliarmus, you know, the Disarming Charm. I know it's pretty basic but I've found it really useful-"

"Oh, please!" everyone looked around at a scoffing Zacharias Smith, "I don't think _Expelliarmus_ is exactly going to help us against You-Know-Who, do you?"

"I've used it against him- it saved my life in June," Harry replied darkly, as everyone glared at Zacharias. "But if you think it's beneath you," Harry continued, "you can leave."

Nobody moved. Nobody made a sound.

"Ok, I reckon we should all divide into pairs and practise." Everyone stood up and got into pairs. Mia went with Katie, Angelina and Alicia went together, and Fred and George.

"Right- on the count of three, then… one, two, three-"

"_Expelliarmus_!" everyone in the room yelled. Mia's spell missed Katie, and hit Cho's friend in the back- she twisted round, but Mia was already scrabbling for her own wand, which Katie had successfully knocked out of her hands. She snatched up just before Zacharias stepped on it.

"_God_, watch where you're walking!" she told him, stalking away and back to Katie.

"Ok… _Expelliarmus_!" Mia's wand went flying across the room, past Fred and George who were disarming Zacharias Smith behind his back, past the Creevey's who were sending books off the shelves, past Luna Lovegood, who was still staring dreamily at anything and everything as she said the spell. She shot daggers at Katie, who just grinned, before going off to retrieve it.

Suddenly, a whistle pierced through all the shouts and sounds of clattering wood, and everyone lowered their wands, turning towards Harry as he said, "That wasn't bad… but there's definitely room for improvement! Let's try again."

"_Expelliarmus_!" Mia and Katie said to each other. Mia's wand flew up in the air, again, and came back down and Mia caught it.

"Skills…" she muttered, before trying to disarm Katie again. Katie seemed to very good at disarming, there was only once when Mia's wand didn't fly out of her hand. Mia, on the other hand, was not. She only managed to disarm Katie once, but she had her suspicions it might have been a badly-aimed spell from Ernie Macmillan. Harry passed them on during one of Mia's more failed attempts.

"You're not flicking your wand enough… just a little more should do it though," Harry told her.

"Um… ok… _Expelliarmus_!" Mia flicked her wand and Katie's flew across the room. "WOO!"

"Right, just keep doing that!" Harry moved away towards Luna and Justin Finch-Fletchy as Mia focused of flicking her wand. When Mia managed to disarm Katie ten times in a row, she 'whooped' and punched the air. Katie took this as an opportunity and sent Mia's wand flying and falling onto Ernie Macmillan's head. Finally, Harry blew his whistle again.

"Well, that was pretty good, but we've overrun, we'd better leave it here. Same time, same place next week?" he said.

"Sooner!" Dean said, excitedly.

"Definitely sooner!" Mia agreed.

"The Quidditch season's about to start, we need team practices too!" Angelina said.

Harry thought for a moment, before saying, "Let's say next Wednesday night, then, we can decide on additional meetings then. Come on, we'd better get going." He pulled out a piece of parchment and Mia smirked at Fred and George, recognising it as the Marauders Map.

Slowly, everyone left the room in small groups, scurrying back to their common rooms.

A few days later, the Quidditch team had just finished practice, and were walking to the changing rooms. Harry was telling Alicia and Katie about their last Charms lesson, in which, apparently, Lavender Brown had almost sent Flitwick flying out of the window. Angelina was lecturing Ron on his Keeping technique, and Fred was trying to talk to George. Note the word _trying_. George was not listening; he was thinking about Mia.

He hadn't actually told her what he'd realized, for a few reasons. First off: there hadn't really been time- what with all of her homework, and Quidditch practice and the DA. Granted, he probably could have made time, she would have loved being taken away from doing homework with Angelina, but then there were other reasons. Second: he wanted to make sure it wasn't just a one off thought- that it was real, which, as it turned out, it was. The feeling hadn't left. And third… well, it was the classic, of course. What if she didn't feel the same? Sure, they were going out. And sure, she definitely liked him… a lot… but-

"GEORGE!"

"Wah?" he asked, blinking and looking at Fred.

"You spaced off there for a second!"

"I'm allowed to space off!"

"Not when I'm talking, your not," Fred replied, grinning. George rolled his eyes and punched Fred's arm as they entered the changing room.

Defence Against the dark Arts lessons hadn't really gotten any better. Multiple times, Mia hadn't bothered to take notes, and multiple times she had been given extra homework. Every lesson, she tried to get through a Sugar Quill, and every lesson she failed. Mia was surprised she hadn't snapped yet, and thrown something at Umbridge… but she was pretty sure that day would come… and, to be honest, she really couldn't wait for it…

**So… just a quick paragraph on Defence Against the Dark Arts lessons there at the end… means the argument is coning soon! Definitely within the next three chapters…**

**So… I hope I wrote the first DA meeting ok…**

**Please Review!**


	8. Slytherin's King

**Hola! (I think that's how you spell it, anyway…)**

**With thanks to: Rowellylovesgryffindor, Sam and the Anon who reviewed**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter- if I did, I would be somewhere that it DOESN'T rain every day… but I do own Mia!**

**Ok, so this chapter mostly takes place during the Gryffindor/Slytherin Quidditch match… you know, I don't know why I tell you people these things, you're only going to figure it out once you read the first few paragraphs anyway…**

Chapter 8: Slytherin's King…

There was a quill on the table. And it was annoying Mia _so much_. It just wouldn't move! No matter how many times she waved her wand. _Accio quill_, she thought. It didn't do anything.

Next to her, Angelina was filling in a chart fir her Astronomy homework.

_Accio quill!_ She thought again, flicking her wand. Still, the quill didn't move.

Opposite her, Alicia was reading a book.

_ACCIO QUILL! _She practically yelled in her head. The quill came flying towards her. "WOO!" she let out, punching the air as she caught it. Several people in the common room looked up, but she just kept grinning at the quill.

"Why are you smiling at a quill?" someone asked form behind her.

"Because," she said, as Fred and George sat down, "I just summoned it-"

"You could summon things anyway!"

"_Non-verbally_!" Mia beamed. Fred started to clap sarcastically.

"Well done, your education has not been a complete waste!" Mia slapped his arm

"Says you, who decided he might not even of come back this year!"

"But we did, didn't we?" Fred asked. Mia rolled her eyes, and tried sending the quill zooming at Fred. It didn't work. When he started laughing, she just threw it at him.

"Angie! It'll be fine!" Mia said a few days later, from under her bed.

"But what if its not?"

"It will be," Alicia replied.

"But what if its not?"

"It _will_ be!" Mia said, emerging from under her bed, holding a pair of sparkly red and gold, six inch high boots.

"But what if its not?" Angelina asked, for the hundredth time that morning. Mia slipped on her boots, zipped them up, and stood up, facing Angelina and grabbing onto her shoulders.

"Angelina. Listen to me. I am only going to say this once more. It. will. Be. Fine… You. Will. Be. Fine… We. Will. All. Be. FINE!" Angelina stared at her blankly for a second, before nodding.

"I just hope Ron doesn't buckle under the pressure!" Mia rolled her eyes as they left the dormitory, grabbing a Gryffindor scarf as she went.

"Did you see what was on the Slytherins' badges?" Mia asked as they sat down.

"I didn't really want to look," Angelina replied.

"Right… I won't tell you then…"

As Mia was pouring milk into a bowl of cereal, Fred and George slid into seats opposite them. "What the hell d'you reckon W-"

"Angie don't want to know what's on the badges," Mia cut in.

"Ok… um… then, what the hell do you reckon… what was on the badges… meant?" Fred asked.

"Dunno, but I doubt it's good." Suddenly, there was a loud _roar_ and Mia jumped, looking round. Luna Lovegood was standing behind Harry and Ron, smiling vaguely, with something that looked like a… _lion _on her head. Mia looked back around slowly, with an expression on her face that clearly said 'what the hell?' As Luna glided back over to the Ravenclaw table, Mia glanced back down at Ron.

"He looks like he's about to throw up…" she said.

"But Harry's great at Quidditch!" Fred said.

"I'm not talking about _Harry_, you idiot! I'm talking about _Ron_!" she said, rolling her eyes.

"Oh… well, you said it so much last year about Harry, I just instantly assumed that that you were talking about him."

About five minutes later, Angelina stood up. "I think I'm going to go down to the pitch…" she said, "check out conditions and stuff…"

"We'll come with you," Katie said as her and Alicia stood up.

"Yeah, we'll be there in a sec, after we've actually eaten," Fred said, forking some sausages onto his plate. Angelina nodded and hurried out of the Hall, stopping to talk to Harry and Ron on her way.

Literally minutes later, after Fred and George had shovelled breakfast down their throats, they left and Mia sat there for a moment, tapping her fingers against table and looking a bit like a loner. Down the table, Harry and Ron stood up to leave, and Mia went down the table and sat in their place.

"How did Ron look?" she asked.

"Like he was going to throw up," Ginny replied.

"Let's just hope he doesn't," Hermione said.

Mia, Hermione and Ginny shuffled into the stands. They waited as the stands filled up, and finally, both the Slytherin and the Gryffindor team strode out onto the pitch. Everyone cheered. "C'MON GRYFFINDOR!" Mia bellowed.

"Go Ron!" Hermione clapped.

"Beat the Slytherins!" Ginny called.

Across on the other side of the pitch, the all of the Slytherins were singing something, but they couldn't quite make out what it was amongst all the other cheers.

Down on the pitch, Angelina and the Slytherin captain, Montague, shook hands. Madame Hooch let released the balls, blew her whistle, and all of the players shot up into the air. Instantly, Angelina grabbed the Quaffle, flying towards the post. A low, collective "oooooooo," came from the Gryffindors as a bludger smacked into the back of her head. "Damn," Mia muttered, "C'MON, ANGIE!" Angelina hung in the air for a second, dazed, then shot off towards Katie, who had gained the Quaffle.

The Quaffle switched between the two teams for a few minutes, and slowly, the singing from the Slytherins got louder. Mia, Hermione and Ginny stopped cheering as they heard the words.

_Weasley cannot save a thing,_

_He cannot block a single ring,_

_That's why Slytherins all sing:_

_Weasley is our King._

As the rest of the Gryffindor supporters heard the words, they all began to shout and applaud louder, trying to drown them out, but the Slytherins sung just as loud.

_Weasley was born in a bin_

_He always lets the Quaffle in_

_That's why Slytherins all sing:_

_Weasley is our King._

By the goal hoops, it was obvious Ron had heard the words. He was just hanging in the air, motionless. As one of the Slytherin Chasers flew towards him with the Quaffle, the singing got louder.

_Weasley is our King,_

_Weasley is our King,_

_Weasley will make sure we win_

_Weasley is our King._

"Don't think about it, Ron," Ginny was muttering, "just don't think about it."

"No, no, no! That's no fair!" Hermione was worrying, "they can't do that!"

"C'MON, RON!" Mia was yelling, "YOU CAN BLOCK IT! JUST _BLOCK IT_!"

_Weasley cannot save a thing._

The Slytherin keeper was getting closer to Ron.

_He cannot block a single ring._

The Chaser threw the Quaffle.

_That's why Slytherins all sing_

Ron dived, arms flailing.

_Weasley is out king_

The Quaffle went straight through the goal hoops.

_Weasley was born in a bin_

_He always lets the Quaffle in_

_That's why Slytherins all sing:_

_Weasley is our King._

"NO! WHY DIDN'T YOU CATCH IT?" Mia screamed, clutching her scalp.

"Block out the words and you'll block the Quaffle!" Ginny shouted.

"Don't let it get to you, Ron!" Hermione called.

_Weasley is our King,_

_Weasley is our King,_

_Weasley will make sure we win_

_Weasley is our King._

Harry started circling the pitch again. Katie had caught the Quaffle and was zooming across the pitch. Alicia tailed her and Angelina flew in front of her, ready to catch it if she need to. Fred whacked a Bludger towards one of the Slytherin Chasers. George flew into the other Bludger's path, and sent it flying towards Draco Malfoy.

_Weasley cannot save a thing,_

_He cannot block a single ring,_

_That's why Slytherins all sing:_

_Weasley is our King._

The Slytherin Chasers managed to get the Quaffle off of Katie and was now flying back towards Ron. It slipped through his fingers, slipped through Angelina's, and finally ended back in Slytherin's possession.

_Weasley was born in a bin_

_He always lets the Quaffle in_

_That's why Slytherins all sing:_

_Weasley is our King._

The Chaser threw the Quaffle at Ron, who failed to catch it again.

_Weasley is our King,_

"JUST STOP THE EFFING QUAFFLE!" Mia cried.

_Weasley is our king_

"Ignore it, Ron!" Hermione shouted.

_Weasley will make sure we win_

"We're going to loose!" Ginny moaned.

_Weasley is out king_

The singing got louder and louder every time Ron let in a goal. One of the times, he nearly fell off of his broom.

_Weasley cannot save a thing,_

_He cannot block a single ring,_

He let the Quaffle pass him again, and it became forty-nil. Mia screamed at him from the other side of the pitch to catch it. Hermione and Ginny kept yelling at him to ignore the song. But he couldn't.

_That's why Slytherins all sing:_

_Weasley is our King._

Finally, Angelina managed to get the Quaffle through the goal posts. The Gryffindor supports screamed, and a lion's roar sounded from somewhere in the Ravenclaw stand- obviously Luna Lovegood's hat. Minutes later, however, a bludger smacked into Katie and the Slytherins were singing louder then ever.

_Weasley was born in a bin_

_He always lets the Quaffle in_

_That's why Slytherins all sing:_

_Weasley is our King._

Suddenly, from high up in the sky, Harry dived, and Malfoy followed a split-second afterwards. They flew down towards the ground. Up above them, Fred, George, and the two new Slytherin Beaters, Crabbe and Goyle, starting fighting for the Bludgers, sending them towards their opposing team's Seeker. The Slytherins were still singing.

_Weasley is our King,_

_Weasley is our King,_

_Weasley will make sure we win_

_Weasley is our King._

A minute later, Harry pulled his broom to halt, holding his arm up in the air.

"YES! WE WON! GO HARRY!" Mia shrieked.

"Even _after_ Ron let in all those goals!" Ginny cried. Hermione didn't say anything- al least… she didn't say anything that Mia and Ginny could comprehend. She just stood there, clapping and screaming,

Harry jerked forward off his broom, and everyone saw a Bludger flying away.

"WHAT? FOUL! THAT WAS AN EFFING FOUL! HE'S ALREADY GOT THE SNITCH!"

Both of the teams landed, and the Gryffindors crowded around Harry. A few feet away from them, the Slytherin team was standing sulkily. Malfoy stepped forward and said something, but no one up in the stands could hear. Down below, Angelina suddenly grabbed onto Fred's arm, looking as though she was holding him back.

"Shut up! I want to hear what's happening!" Mia said. Either everyone had the same idea, or somehow her message had made its way across all of the stands. Either way, everyone was silent within minutes.

"-Weasley's, don't you, Potter?" Malfoy was saying, "Spend holidays there and everything, don't you?" the people in the Slytherin stands seemed to be grinning, "can't see how you stand the stink, but I suppose when you've been dragged up by Muggles, even the Weasley's hovel smells OK…"

Katie and Alicia were now helping Angelina hold Fred back, whilst Harry was now gripping onto George. Nobody in the stands seemed to notice that Ron was missing.

"Or perhaps," Malfoy mused, "you can remember what your mother's house stank like, Potter, and the Weasley's pigsty reminds you of it-"

Suddenly, both George and Harry had leapt forward, pounding their fists at Malfoy. The noise in the crowd started up again. Several people were chanting, "fight, fight, fight!" Down on the pitch; Angelina, Katie and Alicia were still restraining Fred, but were all yelling as well.

"NO! STOP BEATING HIM UP!" Mia screeched, "DO IT ANOTHER TIME! WHEN NO ONE ELSE IS BLOODY WATCHING!"

Madam Hooch had realized what had was happen, and was blowing her whistle shrilly, but when it didn't do anything, she shot a spell at Harry.

"What do you think you're doing? I've never seen behaviour like it - back up to the castle, both of you, and straight to your Head of House's office! Go! Now!" she told them. Harry and George just stared at her for a split-second, fury on their faces, and then they turned and stalked back towards the castle. And second later, McGonagall rose from the staff's stand and strode after them.

Madam Hooch sent the teams back to their changing rooms, and Angelina was still grasping Fred's arm to stop him turning on Malfoy.

When Mia, Hermione and Ginny finally got back to the common room, they found Angelina, Alicia, Katie and Fred already slumped in chairs, looking moody.

"Harry and George not back yet?" Ginny asked.

"Do you see them?" Angelina snapped.

"Right… sorry," Ginny replied. Mia scanned their faces.

"Where's Ron?" she asked.

"I don't know, do I?" Angelina replied, in the same tone.

"Alright, you don't need to talk to us like that!" Mia said, rudely. Angelina breathed in heavily.

"Sorry… it's just…" Angelina trailed off. Mia sat down on the arm of Katie's chair, slinging her arm over the back.

They all stayed sitting there in silence, for how long, no one was sure. Unexpectedly, the portrait door slammed open, banging on wall. "There's no need to break me off my hinges!" the Fat Lady huffed as Harry and George stormed in. Angelina stood up, looking at both of them. Harry flung his arm out and the Snitch he had caught earlier flew out of his hand.

"Well? What happened?" she asked. Harry and George glared at her, but she glared right back, so they had no choice but to answer.

"We got banned," Harry replied quietly. Angelina's legs seemed to go weak as she fell back down on her chair. Everyone around them stared, open mouthed.

"What?" Mia asked.

"We got banned! From Quidditch! By Umbridge! And so did you!" George gestured at Fred.

"Banned?" Angelina said, as though it had only just comprehended, "Banned? No Seeker and no Beaters? What on earth are we going to do?"

The Snitch flew around Mia's head a couple of times before she smacked it away, and it zoomed off towards Neville.

Mia slid off of the chair arm she was sitting on and sat down next to George, placing her hand on his knee and looking up at him sympathetically.

"It's just so unfair, I mean," Alicia said, crossing her arms, "what about Crabbe and that Bludger he hit after the whistle had been blown? Has she banned him?"

"Of course not!" Mia scoffed

"He just got lines," Ginny huffed, "I heard Montague laughing about it."

"And banning Fred when he didn't even do anything!"

"It's not my fault I didn't. I would've pounded the little scumbag to a pulp if you three hadn't been holding me back!" Fred muttered darkly, staring off into space with his eyes narrowed, and clenching his fists.

The Snitch continued to flutter around the room, and people kept pushing it away from them as it flew too close to their faces. Hermione's cat kept jumping towards it, but failing to catch it in his paws every time.

They all sat there. Nobody kept track of the time.

Finally, Angelina said, "I'm going to bed… maybe this will all turn out to have been a bad dream… maybe I'll wake up tomorrow and find we haven't played yet…" she stood up and drifted towards the stairs. Alicia and Katie followed her a few minutes later. Before Mia stood up to follow, she said, blankly, "You said it was Umbridge who banned you?"

"Yeah," Harry replied as the Snitch whizzed past his head. Mia started shaking her slowly and she balled her hands into fists. She stood up breathed in through nose. She glared into the fire for a second.

"Why?" Hermione asked. Mia looked at her.

"Never mind," she replied, quirking her eyebrows.

**I'm pretty sure you all know what's coming next…**

**Please review!**


	9. VS

**Heyy! So, I'm not gunna say to much up here…**

**Thanks to: the Anon who reviewed**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter and blahdblahdblah**

Chapter 9: VS

"Good morning, class," Umbridge said.

"Good morning, Professor Umbridge," the class chanted back.

"Please turn to chapter eight, read through it and make notes," Umbridge told them, her skin stretching as she smiled. Everyone opened their books to chapter eight. As everyone started writing notes, Mia pulled out her quill and wrote: _Hi!_ She slid it over to George. The reply she got back was: _hello?_ She rolled her eyes and looked up at Umbridge. She hadn't caught them yet.

_Well, you're just FULL of things to say, aren't you?_ She gave the parchment back to George.

_Well, what else am I supposed to say?_ She rolled her eyes again.

_Something!_ She slipped the note back and glanced back down at her book, which was open at the completely wrong page. She heard footsteps coming towards them and the parchment was snatched from under George's hands. Umbridge scanned the words and looked over the top of it. _Excellent_, Mia thought.

"I see that Mr Weasley here is disturbing you," Umbridge said. Several people looked around at them. Mia didn't say anything and just looked at Umbridge. "_Is_ he disturbing you, Miss Homing?" Mia shrugged. "Well, perhaps you'd like to move places?" Mia blinked up at her.

"Move… places?"

"Yes. Over there, perhaps?" Umbridge pointed to an empty seat next to a Slytherin boy, who instantly made a face and feigned gagging.

"Next to the Slytherin?" Mia asked, throwing a dirty look at him.

"Yes… is that a problem?" Umbridge smiled.

"Yeah, it is, actually," Mia replied.

"But, why?" Umbridge asked, smiling even wider. Mia looked over to the Slytherin again.

"Well… in case you haven't noticed, but Gryffindors and _Slytherins_ don't exactly get on," she said, sneering the word 'Slytherin'. Meanwhile, Umbridge was slowly tearing up the note.

"Miss Homing, when I tell you to do something, I expect you to do it," Umbridge told her.

"Technically," George nudged her, but she ignored him, "you _asked_ me. Which means I had every right to refuse." Umbridge looked at her for a moment. Next to her, Fred and George were sitting, utterly surprised. The scene in front of them was very calm. Mia wasn't even standing up… yet.

"Very well then, Miss Homing. Go and sit over there," Umbridge pointed to the seat. Mia raised her eyebrows, smirking a bit.

"No, I don't think I will," she replied. Everyone in the room was looking at them now. Umbridge's smile (which had been faltering for some time) suddenly disappeared. The whole room was silent for a minute, and Mia and Umbridge just looked at each other.

Then Umbridge said, "Miss Homing, I am your teacher, and you should respect me."

"Respect?" Mia spat back, "_respect_?" she stood up, pushing her chair back, "I'm sorry, _Umbridge_, but I only _respect_ those who've earned it. And you _sure as hell_ have not earned it!" George kicked the side of her foot, but, again, she ignored him, she was on a roll now, "and I doubt you ever _will_ earn it!" Umbridge looked up at her, and plastered another smile on her face.

"If you move now, Miss Homing, perhaps I won't give you a detention."

"I don't _care_ if you give me a fucking detention," Mia replied, venom dripping from every word.

"Detention it is, Miss Homing," Umbridge's voice was sweeter and girly then ever, "now, if you'll please just move to the empty seat over there, then perhaps we can carry on with our lesson."

"What lesson? I thought the whole meaning of a _lesson_ was to _learn_!"

"Move," Umbridge's voice lost the sweetness, "now."

Mia glared at Umbridge for a moment. Her wide eyes had gone circular. Then she slammed her book shut, picked up her bag, kicked the chair over onto the floor and stalked over to the seat next to the Slytherin boy. She dropped her bag, threw her book down on the table and grabbed the top of the chair, pushing down hard. When she pulled it away so she could sit down, it scraped horribly against the floor and several people in the room winced. She sat down and opened her book, then looked back up to Umbridge. "Happy?"

"You will come to my office tonight a six o'clock for detention, Miss Homing," Umbridge told her, then turned and walked back to the front of the class, saying, "Please carry on with your reading of chapter eight."

Later that evening, at dinner, Angelina was saying, "you were supposed to do your Potions homework tonight! And it's due in first period tomorrow!"

"Don't worry, Angie! I'll do it when I get back!"

"When you get back? _When you get back_? Mia, you do realise how everyone that's had a detention with her hasn't gotten back 'til _after midnight_?" Mia rolled her eyes and checked George's watch. She swallowed the last bit of her chicken and stood up, picking up her bag.

"See you guys later," she said, turning and walking out of the Great Hall. She walked through the castle, greeting Nearly Headless Nick on the second floor, and finally ended up outside Umbridge's office. She banged on the door, hard, and she heard a faint, "enter." She grabbed the handle and pushed it open, stepping into the office.

Mia had only ever been into the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher's office twice. Once with Professor Quirrell, when she'd accidentally set his turban alight and he'd given her detention. And the second time when she had given a piece of homework to Professor Lupin two days late. Both of those times the office looked like it actually belonged to someone who knew how to defend themselves against the Dark Arts. Now, however, it looked like it belonged to… well, she wasn't really sure who it might've belonged to.

Everything was pink, white or a light purple, with lace and frills draped over every possible surface. The small cats on the many plates hanging on one of walls meowed and pawed at their own painted floor.

"Hello, Miss Homing, how are you?" Umbridge asked her from the oink desk. Mia looked at her.

"Don't see why you would care." Umbridge smiled.

"Very well. If you would to sit down, we can start your detention," she gestured to a chair and a desk, with a piece of parchment and a black quill. Mia threw her bag on the floor, hearing what sounded like an inkpot smashing. Umbridge narrowed her eyes as Mia sat down, with one hand resting on the table, the other resting on her knee under the desk. "Now, I would like you to write me some lines. I would like you to write _I must respect my elders_." She smiled. Mia looked around the desk and picked up the quill- she noticed it had a very sharp tip.

"Umbridge," she said, "I kinda need ink."

"No you won't."

"What?"

"You won't need any ink."

"Then what am I meant to write with?" Mia asked rudely. Umbridge forced a smile.

"Just write," she said, in a voice even sweeter then usual.

"With _what_?"

"Miss Homing, if you wrote, you would find out, wouldn't you?" Mia rolled her eyes and placed the tip of the quill at the parchment.

"_I must respect my elders_," she said loudly and obnoxiously as she wrote the words. Mia stared for a second in confusion as the words appeared in glistening red ink. She didn't really notice the pain in her hand.

"Well, carry on," Umbridge said as her eyes narrowed.

"_I must respect my elders_," Mia repeated, making her voice louder and even more obnoxious. She wrote five lines of _I must respect my elders_, saying the words aloud every time, until Umbridge coughed,

"Please write in silence, Miss Homing." Mia rolled her eyes, but stopped speaking.

Without the focus of saying what she was writing, she started to notice the pain in her hand that was resting on her knee. First, she squeezed it between her knees, then when that didn't work- in fact, it made it worse- she brought it out from under the table and looked at it. Her eyes grew wider. In her own long-letter, cramp-worded handwriting were the words, _I must respect my elders_. Scabbed over with the skin around the words red and irritated. For a second, she thought she was imagining it, and she wrote the sentence again. Her hand twitched painfully and the wounds broke open. She realised that what she originally thought was red ink was actually blood. Shining in the light before it dried, turning a dull crimson colour.

"Is there a problem, Miss Homing?" Umbridge asked. Mia looked up to her, mouth slightly open.

"Yeah, there is, actually," she said, "what the hell is this?" she held up the quill, but before Umbridge could answer, Mia stood up, flinging the quill down on the floor, "'Cause I don't know what planet your from, 'cause you certainly don't look human enough to be from Earth, but here, on Earth, torture is illegal," she picked up her bag and saw a small black puddle on the carpet, where in ink from the smashed pot had obviously seeped through the bag. "now, if you don't mind, _Umbridge_, I think I'll be leaving."

"Homing!" but Mia ignored her. She turned on her heel and took her wand out of her pocket. Praying it would work, she flicked it at the door, feeling relived when it flung open, banging on the wall and causing a couple of the cat plates to fall into the floor, shattering.

"Homing!" again, Mia ignored her.

As she stalked through the door, she threw over her shoulder, "see you in hell, bitch!"

As she walked along the corridors, the irritating pain in her hand grew, until it seemed to be stinging. She cradled it in her other hand, trudging up flights of stairs. She didn't even know if torture _was_ illegal for wizards! On the fifth floor, Peeves came flying down the hallway.

"Ooo, what's little kiddie doing out and about?" he started shooting ink pellets at her.

When one fell onto the back of her neck, she whipped around and screamed, "SOD OFF, PEEVES!"

"Ooo, little kiddie's getting angry!" he cackled. She pointed her wand at him and sent a Stunning Spell, but he dodged it and cackled again. Eyes going wider, she clenched her fists, regretted it when pain shot through her left and, whirled around, running down the corridor.

"_Mimbulus Mimbletonia_," she muttered darkly to the Fat Lady.

"What's wrong with you?" she asked.

"_Mimbulus… Mimbletonia_," Mia replied through clenched teeth.

"There's no need to take that tone with me, young lady!" the Fat Lady swung open, and Mia stalked past her. She nearly walked straight past Angelina, George, Alicia, Fred and Katie, but Angelina stood up.

"What's wrong?"

"What's wrong?" Mia said shrilly, "_WHAT'S WRONG_?"

"Shh," Angelina said. Katie and Alicia had come to stand around her as well, now.

"Oh, I'll tell you what's wrong! _That's_ what's wrong!" Mia held up her left hand and automatically, Angelina grabbed her wrist and pulled it closer to her face.

"_I must respect my elders…_ how did she do this?"

"Do what?" Fred asked as he and George came over to them too. Angelina showed them Mia's hand and they stared, agape, at it. George gently pried it out of Angelina's grip and ran his fingers lightly over the words.

"Did she… carve the words into your hand or something?" Fred asked.

"No! She made me use some quill that when I wrote it cut open my hand and wrote in blood!" George brushed his fingers over the scabs again.

"I think I'll go to bed," she said miserably, her anger had burned out now, "'night." She slid her hand out of George's and traipsed up the stairs to the girls' dormitory.

**Ok… so I hope that lived up to all the hype the 'fight with Umbridge' has been given…**

**Please review!**


	10. Christmas!

**Boo! Hahahaha, scared ya, didn't I? No? Oh… ok, then… um…**

**Thank you Anon, Sam and Erin for reviewing!**

**Disclaimer: I only own Mia… oh! And Jess and Sally and Mia's parents…**

**Ok… so… this chapter basically just spans Christmas…**

Chapter 10: Christmas!

December rolled around, bringing with it sleet and snow. Mia's cloak, scarf, hat and gloves moved from under her bed, to a new home right at the foot of it, where she could grab them quickly when she left the dormitory. Every morning, when she woke up, she groaned when she saw the new blanket of snow, and dreaded going outside and she also took to wearing two pairs of socks. During the weekends, the common room was emptier then usual, with everyone outside throwing around snowballs.

The only people in the common room during Sunday afternoon were people who either hated the cold, or were doing homework. Mia, Angelina, Hermione, Ron, Harry, some second years, and some fourth years. Mia stared at her blank piece of parchment, then started flicking through her Transfiguration book. "Ugh! I'm going to the library!" she muttered, slamming her book shut.

She was traipsing through the Entrance Hall when Fred and George came in through the doors. "Where ya going?" Fred asked as they came up behind her.

"Library," she replied.

"Why?" Fred asked, as if she was doing something utterly crazy. Well, I guess to Fred going to the library is utterly crazy…

"'Cause I need to find something for my Transfiguration homework."

"Fine, be boring," Fred shrugged, "I'm going to common room. Coming, George?"

"Uh… no, I'll stay with Mia," he replied.

"Fine, you be boring too." Fred rolled his eyes and went up the stairs.

Mia and George strolled through the castle. They passed McGonagall on the first floor, and Flitwick scurried past, followed by several first years, on the second floor. As they passed the first years, Mia looked down at them, and they looked up at her. She was sure she wasn't that short when she was in first year. As they were walking down the third floor, George slipped his hand into hers. When they finally reached the library, Mia looked back to him and breathed out heavily. Madam Pince looked up from where she was prowling around.

"What?" he asked. She shook her head, detaching her hand so she could pull a book off its shelf. "What?" he asked again. Before answering, Mia opened the book and skimmed her eyes down the contents, then put the book back, pulling down another one.

"Its just… ok… haw long have we known each other?" she asked, flicking through pages.

"Seven years, why?"

"And… when did you start liking me?" she put the book back and walked to the other side of the shelf.

"Forth year, I guess…" she looked up at him, closing another book and swapping it for a thin green one.

"I was a statue for most of that year," she replied, and he shrugged.

"Maybe you not being there made me realise I liked you."

"Well that makes sense," she put the thin green book back and trailed her finger across the shelf, pulling down one at random, but put it back as she realised it was actually a book on Divination, not Transfiguration.

"What 'bout you?" George asked. She thought about it for a second.

"Beginning of fifth," she pulled down a stack of books and dumped them down on the table a few feet away, sorting through them. "So how long ago was that?" she asked.

"Couple years ago," he shrugged.

"Exactly," she lifted up a Charms book and found a Transfiguration book underneath.

"Exactly… what?" she opened the Transfiguration book. When she answered, she didn't look up and continued turning the pages with glazed over eyes.

"We'd been friends for… four or five years… and then after that… we spent one or two years still… pretending we were still just friends… and then we got together… and it's all just a bit… I dunno…" she closed the book and put it down on the table, sorting through the pile to find another Transfiguration one. When she couldn't find one, she put all the books back and picked up the Transfiguration one, taking it up to Madam Pince so she could take it out.

"I don't get it…" he said as they walked out of the library. Mia sighed, frustrated.

"The point is… it's just… odd, I guess… to not have to… act like friends anymore…" they walked out of the library and started making their way up to Gryffindor tower. "I mean… it makes more sense in my head…" they turned a corner and saw peeves bobbing around, so they slipped through a tapestry and up a hidden staircase.

George looked down at the back of her head and heaved a sigh. He caught hold of her arm, twisting her around. "What?" she asked, looking up at him.

"Odd in a good or bad way?" he asked, crossing his arms. She smirked and laughed a bit.

"Good way, obviously," she replied. She continued walking and ducked through another tapestry at the top of the staircase, and walked down the hallway.

"Mia?" George said.

"Yes, George?" she replied. They rounded a corner and started walking towards the portrait hole.

"What would you if I told you-"

"_There_ you are!" the Fat Lady's portrait swung open and Angelina poked her head out. "I was wondering how long it'd take you to get a book from the library!"

"It's a big library!" Mia defended, rolling her eyes. "What were you saying, George?" she asked, entering the common room.

"Never mind," he replied, sighing.

It was a couple of days before the end of term. The Room of Requirement was almost full, and finally, the last members of the DA, Colin and Dennis Creevey, entered. Up the front, Harry stood up.

"OK, I thought this evening we should just go over the things we've done so far, because it's the last meeting before the holidays and there's no point starting anything new right before a three-week break –" he was cut off by Zacharias Smith.

"We're not doing anything new?" he sneered, "If I'd known that, I wouldn't have come."

"We're all really sorry Harry didn't tell you, then," Fred said. Everyone in the room laughed and Zacharias glared moodily at the ceiling.

Harry carried on as if he hadn't been interrupted. "We can practise in pairs. We'll start with the Impediment Jinx, for ten minutes, then we can get out the cushions and try Stunning again."

Mia partnered up with Katie. Since coming to DA meetings, her aim had improved immensely. She now managed to hit whatever she was shooting at eight times out of ten, and with quite good results.

"_Impedimenta!_" she said, pointing her wand at Katie, who stumbled back a bit before shooting the jinx at Mia. She felt herself slow down for a minute. A couple of times, her spell went off target and hit Ginny, who was practising a few feet away.

After about ten minutes, Harry blew the whistle and the group split into two so they could practice Stunning. Mia sat with Angelina and Fred, and watched Katie and Alicia stun each other, while George paired up with Ron, who continually missed the cushions.

When it was the second groups turn, Mia paired with Fred, knocking him back at least ten times in a row. She missed the cushions once, and when she unfroze, she stood up, rubbing the back of her head.

Finally, Harry blew his whistle. "You're getting really good," he said, smiling at all of them. "When we get back from the holidays we can start doing some of the big stuff- maybe even Patronuses!" there was a mutter of excitement.

Everyone left in their usual twos and threes. "Happy Christmas, Harry," Mia said, as everyone else had done.

The following morning, Mia woke up and headed down to the Great Hall, but Fred and George weren't there. She shrugged it off; they were probably doing something. But they weren't in Charms, or in Transfiguration, and McGonagall seemed distracted, she didn't even ask for their homework. At lunch, Hermione slipped into a seat opposite her, looking worried.

"What?" Hermione looked around, making sure that nobody was listening.

"Last night," she whispered, and Mia had to lean in to hear her, "Mr Weasley got attacked-"

"What?" Mia hissed. Hermione shushed her and went on.

"Harry saw it, in a dream. Mr Weasley's at St Mungo's now, and Harry, Ron, Ginny, Fred and George went back to Grimmauld Place last night. McGonagall just told me."

"So _that's_ why she was distracted in Transfiguration!" Mia exclaimed.

"Mmm. I'm going to see them once term ends. Just thought I'd tell you."

"Thanks, Hermione," Mia sighed.

For the next to days, Mia sat in worry. She sat with Angelina, Alicia and Katie on the way back to London on the Hogwarts Express, but she didn't talk much. Just stared out of the window.

She grinned when she saw Sally at Kings Cross, and they Disapparated back to Mia's house. Sally had said that she'd been to visit Mr Weasley in St Mungo's, and that he was doing fine. Mia nodded and headed inside to greet her parents.

"How was school?" her mother asked her.

"It was fine. But we _do_ have this one new teacher, she's horrible." She didn't elaborate on Umbridge. She explained to her parents about all the homework she'd been getting, but that she was coping with it, and that she wasn't really worried about her exams at the end of the year. Which was a lie.

On Christmas Eve, Mia's cousin, Jess, came down from London. Mia beamed when she saw here, and ran out of the door with bear feet. Which she later regretted, but oh well. Jess was a short woman, with short, choppy black hair and the same too-wide, brown eyes as Mia.

"How's the boarding school?" she asked. Jess believed that Mia went to boarding in the south of England. It was the only lie Mia had ever told her.

"It's good!" Mia grinned.

"And how's the boyfriend?" Jess winked.

"He's fine, too." Make that two lies.

With Jess there, Christmas seemed to go much quicker. Mia managed to send a few letters to Fred and George over the holidays, though they didn't say much. Fred and George couldn't tell her much in case the letters got intercepted, and Mia didn't really have much to say. Once, Jess caught one of the owls flying away from the house, but Mia managed to convince her it was probably a pigeon or something.

The day after Boxing Day, Jess went back to London, with the plan of having Mia staying at hers for a week in the summer holidays, just like she always did. A few days after New Year, Sally knocked on the front door, and Mia said goodbye to her parents, lugging her trunk out behind her, and wearing the new shoes she gotten from Jess. Electric blue boots, with a five inch heel and copper coloured zip.

They Apperated to Kings Cross, where Mia boarded the Hogwarts Express and found Angelina sitting in a compartment. Katie and Alicia joined them half an hour later, and the train set off back to Hogwarts.

"How was your Christmas, then?" Angelina asked.

"Yeah, it was good," Mia replied, and then held up her feet to show everyone her boots.

When they got back to Hogwarts, Mia had to accept that George, Fred, Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny hadn't returned yet and hadn't been in a different compartment because they couldn't find the one she was in. So she spent the rest of day finishing off some homework.

That evening, the portrait hole swung open to reveal Harry, Ron, Fred, Hermione, George and Ginny, with red faces from the cold outside. A few people looked up at them, and Mia shot out of her chair and was over to them in an instant. "What happened?" she asked. A couple of them shushed her and they settled in a group by the fire. "Well?" Mia said.

"Dad'll be fine," Ginny said.

"That's good. But… what _actually_ happened?" they told her the story of how Harry had seen Mr Weasley get attacked by a snake in a dream, and how they had been woken up in the middle of the night and taken to Grimmauld Place. When they went to visit Mr Weasley and he'd tried stitches on the wound.

"Ugh, when I was ten I promised myself I'd _never_ get stitches!" Mia muttered, "couple weeks later I slit my leg open on the garden fence when I fell out of the tree," she looked around at the, "but he'll be ok? Yeah?"

"He'll be ok," Hermione said.

**So… I guess this chapter was alright… and you got to meet Jess, Mia's cousin, who's been mentioned many times before…**

**Please review!**


	11. Prophet vs Quibbler

**Hiya…**

**Thanks to: TheBallinSmasher for reviewing!**

**Disclaimer: I own no one but Mia…**

Chapter 11: Prophet vs Quibbler

There was a copy of the Daily Prophet on one of the small tables in the common room, with ten large photos on the front cover. Nine men and one woman. The headline above them read: _Mass breakout from Azkaban, Ministry fears Black is 'rallying point' for old Death Eater_. Mia looked down at the paper and turned it a bit, so she could read the words.

_The Ministry of Magic announced late last night that there has been a mass breakout from Azkaban._

_Speaking to reporters in his private office, Cornelius Fudge, Minister for Magic, confirmed that ten high-security prisoners escaped in the early hours of yesterday evening and that he has already informed the Muggle Prime Minister of the dangerous nature of these individuals._

_'We find ourselves, most unfortunately, in the same position we were two and a half years ago when the murderer Sinus Black escaped,' said Fudge last night. 'Nor do we think the two breakouts are unrelated. An escape of this magnitude suggests outside help, and we must remember that Black, as the first person ever to break out of Azkaban, would be ideally placed to help others follow in his footsteps. We think it likely that these individuals, who include Black's cousin, Bellatrix Lestrange, have rallied around Black as their leader. We are, however, doing all we can to round up the criminals, and we beg the magical community to remain alert and cautious. On no account should any of these individuals be approached.'_

Her eyes skimmed the words a couple more times, remembering when Fred and George had told her Sirius Black had been innocent. She picked up the paper and walked over to where the twins were sitting. "Did you see this?" she asked, sitting on the arm of Fred's chair and handing the paper to him. He glanced at it and chucked it on the table.

"Yeah, saw it this morning at breakfast," he said.

"And you didn't think to tell me?" Mia said.

"You were still in bed!" Fred shrugged.

"Well, you could've told me in Charms!" she said.

"Well, we couldn't be bothered!" he replied.

The next day, a large sign appeared on the notice board.

BY ORDER OF THE HIGH INQUISITOR OF HOGWARTS

Teachers are hereby banned from giving students any information that is not strictly related to the subjects they are paid to teach.

The above is in accordance with Educational Decree Number Twenty-six.

Signed: Dolores Jane Umbridge, High Inquisitor

"Well, that sucks!" Mia muttered, staring at it.

January was probably the worst month yet- weather wise, anyway. Instead of snow, rain fell from the grey sky, pouring like waterfalls down windows and off the off the roof. The enchanted ceiling in the Great Hall was clouded over every morning, and the only thing that convinced people it wasn't real was that the rain that fell from it didn't actually make them wet.

About half way through January, Mia stood in one of the greenhouses, listening to the thudding of the rain as it fell down. She looked over her Venomous Tentacula plant, stretching out her hand and snapping it back towards herself when one of the vines came snaking out towards her.

"Now, now, don't be shy!" Sprout said from behind her, "Just chop off the leaves, there, and put them in the bowl. Keep your wand out though, in case it does anything!"

"Does anything?" Mia squeaked, before Sprout had the chance to move away.

"Oh, don't worry! Just chop off the leaves!" and Sprout bounced away to help a Hufflepuff girl.

Mia managed to get a quarter of the leaves off of the plant and into the bowl, and had to shoot the plant several times with her wand because it started slipping its vines up her arms. "Very good, very good!" Sprout had said as she'd taken her bowl up to the front, and left the greenhouse. The rain splashed onto her head and soaked through her clothes within seconds. Once she'd sprinted through the double doors with the rest of the class, she dragged her fingers under her eyes, throwing away droplets of water.

She skidded into the dungeons minutes later, still dripping wet, and all the Slytherins sniggered. She took out her wand and pointed it at herself, muttering "_Exaresco_," and the water evaporated. She walked over to her place next to Angelina and set up her cauldron, sending a couple of sparks towards the Slytherins, who were still laughing. She lost Gryffindor fifty points.

January turned into February, and the weather turned warmer, but the rain continued. Mia was staring at her half finished Transfiguration essay, fiddling with her necklace and trying to figure out weather she'd spelt _definition_ correctly. She thought she had, but for some reason, it just didn't look right. She noticed it was because the 't' and the 'i' seemed to have merged into one letter.

Fred and George had just left the common room, going down the watch the Quidditch practice. Mia was surprised when Ginny got the place of Seeker- she didn't even know Ginny could fly that well.

Her DA coin was lying on the table next to her parchment, and she kept picking it up and twisting it around in her fingers. Her essay was on Protean Charms. As she was looking at the coin, it suddenly grew warm, and the numbers around the side flicked, telling her that the next meeting would be in three days. She put down the coin and picked her quill, scratching _the spell can be used so many objects are linked, rather then just two_ onto the parchment.

Fred and George came back later that evening, and during dinner, she asked them how the practice had gone. "It was terrible," Fred muttered.

"The two blokes they got to replace us are horrible," George said.

"They can't be _that_ bad!" Mia said, cutting some chicken off of the bone.

"They are," Fred and George replied.

"But they made it onto the team!"

"Yeah, well," Fred replied, "everyone else who tried out must've been bloody mental to think they even had _half _a chance."

They entered the common room later to see Harry and Hermione sitting by the fire, talking.

"Ron and Ginny not here?" Fred asked them as they approached. "Good. We were watching their practice. They're going to be slaughtered. They're complete rubbish without us!"

"Come on, Ginny's not bad," George said as he and Mia sat down- George next to Fred and Mia on the arm of the chair, "Actually, I dunno how she got so good, seeing how we never let her play with us."

"She's been breaking into your broom shed in the garden since the age of six and taking each of your brooms out in turn when you weren't looking," Hermione answered, and Mia stifled a laugh.

"Oh… well… that'd explain it," George said.

"Has Ron saved a goal yet?" Hermione asked.

"Well," Fred sighed, "he can do it if he doesn't think anyone's watching him. So all we have to do is ask the crowd to turn their backs and talk among themselves every time the Quaffle goes up his end on Saturday."

"Like that'd ever work," Mia muttered, sliding down onto the actual sofa as Fred stood up.

"You know, Quidditch was about the only thing in this place worth staying for…" he said.

"You've got exams coming!" Hermione gasped.

"Told you already," Fred turned around and leaned against the window, "we're not fussed about NEWTs."

"Mia!" Hermione looked at her.

"What? I can't do anything!"

"Well, you could at least try-"

"I'm not their mother, Hermione!" Mia cut her off.

"I dunno if I even want to watch this match," George muttered, "if Zacharias Smith beats us I might have to kill myself."

"Kill him, more like," Fred said.

"Can't we just kill the entire Hufflepuff team _before_ the match? Then we'd win anyway," Mia suggested.

"That's the trouble with Quidditch, it creates all this bad feeling and tension between the houses," Hermione said, writing something down on a bit of parchment. George, Harry and Fred all looked at her incredulously, and Mia just raised her eyebrows.

"Well, it does!" Hermione exclaimed indignantly, "It's only a game, isn't it?"

"Hermione, you're good on feelings and stuff, but you just don't understand about Quidditch," Harry said.

"Maybe not, but at least my happiness doesn't depend on Ron's goalkeeping ability," Hermione replied. Mia rolled her eyes.

"And neither does mine, but I still want Gryffindor to win!"

It was probably the worst Quidditch game anyone had ever seen. Within the first five minutes, Hufflepuff had already tried to score five times, and Ron had missed every single one of them. The Slytherins started up a chorus of 'Weasley is Our King', making Ron's performance even worse. The two new Beaters- Kirke and Sloper- were terrible. Countless of times, they missed the Bludgers, sometimes even hitting their own team mates over the head with their bats. The one time Sloper _did_ hit a Bludger… it slammed into Angelina. The Gryffindors groaned and winced every time something happened.

"Is _this_ what it's like watching? Man, I feel sorry for you!" Fred muttered Hufflepuff scored one hundred points.

"No, Fred, this is _not_ what it _usually _feels like to be watching, because _usually_" Mia replied, rather harshly, "_we_ are winning!"

Soon, Hufflepuff had two hundred and forty points, and suddenly, Ginny and the Hufflepuff Seeker- Summerby- sped off in the same direction. A minute later, Ginny was holding the Snitch up in air, a solemn look on her face. Gryffindor had still lost.

Slowly, everybody in the Gryffindor House trudged back to the castle, trying to block out the sounds of Slytherins singing 'Weasley is Our King'. The mood in the common room was miserable and depressing. The Quidditch team sat scattered around the common room: the Chasers by the fire, mumbling about how they were probably the only good ones on the team, the Beaters in a dark corner, not speaking and looking around with moody expressions, arms crossed, Ron in an even darker corner, holding a bottle of Butterbeer, and Ginny speaking to Harry. Mia sat with Fred and George, flicking through _Medicine Magic: a Guide to the World of Magical Medicine_, pausing to read over bits she hadn't fully memorised yet.

Fred and George went over to talk to Harry and Mia made her way off towards Hermione, who was writing down on some parchment. "Hey," she greeted.

"Hm? Oh, hello, Mia," Hermione replied, looking up from her writing, "pretty bad game, wasn't it?"

"It was terrible," Mia replied flatly. Hermione shrugged.

"This is why I'm glad I don't know a lot about Quidditch. I feel disappointed that we loose, but I move on after a few minutes," she said.

"Yeah, well," Mia sighed, "_some_ people are lucky, ain't they?"

A few days later, Mia sat at the Gryffindor table at breakfast, in between Fred and George. As the post owls arrived, Harry, Ron and Hermione sat opposite them. An owl landed in front of Harry, narrowly missing Mia's cereal bowl. She pulled it out of the way warily.

"Who're you after?" Harry asked it, then, with a confused expression, went to take the letter off its leg. But five more owls swooped down onto the table. One of these owls _did_ land in Mia's cereal bowl. She pulled a face of disgust and pushed it away. Mean while, Hermione had pulled a screech owl out of the mass of birds. Harry opened the package it was carrying. It was an issue of _the Quibbler_. On the front page was a picture of Harry, with the words _Speaks Out At Last: The Truth about You-Know-Who, And the Night I Saw Him Return_ above it. Harry was just staring at the magazine, and Luna Lovegood came over to the table.

"It's good, isn't it? It came out yesterday, I asked Dad to send you a free copy. I expect all these are letters from readers."

"That's what I thought," Hermione beamed, "Harry, d'you mind if we-?"

"Help yourself!" Harry replied, and Hermione and Ron started opening the letters.

"This one's from a bloke who thinks you're off your rocker… ah well," Ron said, throwing the letter aside.

"This woman recommends you try a good course of Shock Spells at St Mungo's," Hermione said, frowning.

"This one looks OK, though," Harry was reading through a letter, "hey, she says she believes me!" Luna smiled dreamily at all the owls, feeding a piece of toast to one. Fred reached towards a pale blue envelope.

"This one's in two minds…" he said, "Says you don't come across as a mad person… but he really doesn't want to believe You-Know-Who's back… so he doesn't know what to think now. Blimey, what a waste of parchment!" Mia laughed as he threw the letter over his shoulder.

"Here's another one you've convinced, Harry!" Hermione was clutching a small piece of parchment, "'Having read your side of the story, I am forced to the conclusion that the Daily Prophet has treated you very unfairly; little though I want to think that He Who Must Not Be Named has returned, I am forced to accept that you are telling the truth'… Oh, this is wonderful!" she put the letter on the small pile of letters telling Harry they believed him. Mia started munching on a piece of toast, seeing as the owl that had stood in her cereal now seemed to be trying to swim in it.

"Another one who thinks you're barking," Ron shrugged, then said "but this one says you've got her converted and she now thinks you're a real hero! She's put in a photograph, too… wow!" he held up a picture of a pretty blond with who was smiling timidly.

"Oh crap…" Mia muttered.

"What?" George asked. But his question was answered by a high, too-sweet voice.

"What is going on here?"

Everyone looked up at Umbridge, who was wearing the brightest pink she had worn all year. Harry dropped all the envelopes he was holding. Luna came out of her daze. Ron quickly shoved the picture of the pretty blond witch under the table. Hermione stopped herself from throwing another non-believer's letter over her shoulder. Fred grimaced. George dropped his bit of bacon. Mia tried to shoo away some on the owls.

"Why have you got all these letters, Mr Potter?" Umbridge asked, smiling down at them.

"Is that a crime now? _Getting mail_?" Fred scoffed, and Mia kicked him under the table.

"Be careful, Mr Weasley," Umbridge warned, "or I shall have to put you in detention. Well, Mr Potter?"

Slowly, Harry handed over the copy of _the Quibbler_, and Umbridge's eyes widened manically.

"People have written to me because I gave an interview," Harry told her, "about what happened to me last June." Everyone in Hall was watching them now. Some were doing over the tops of their _Daily Prophets_, others were leaning forwards over the tables, trying to hear what was being said.

"An interview? What do you mean?" Umbridge asked. Mia coughed, hiding a laugh, and Umbridge's eyes flicked all around the group of people.

"I mean," Harry said, and Umbridge looked back at him, "a reporter asked me questions and I answered them."

"When did you do this?" Umbridge asked, fury in her voice.

"Last Hogsmeade weekend," Harry shrugged. Umbridge's chest heaved up as she breathed in, and her face starting going a patchy shade of red. She clenched her fist around the magazine .

"There will be no more Hogsmeade trips for you, Mr Potter," she said, "how you dare… how you could… I have tried again and again to teach you not to tell lies. The message, apparently, has still not sunk in. Fifty points from Gryffindor and another week's worth of detentions." She walked away, and every single eye in the Great Hall followed her. She sat back down at the staff table and slammed _the Quibbler_ onto the table.

As Mia was walking out of Potions after first period, she stopped. There was a sign plaster on the wall.

BY ORDER OF THE HIGH INQUISITOR OF HOGWARTS

Any student found in possession of the magazine The Quibbler will be expelled.

The above is in accordance with Educational Decree Number Twenty-seven.

Signed: Dolores Jane Umbridge, High Inquisitor

By lunch, nearly everyone in school had managed to get a copy of the magazine. Mia was flicking through a copy she had found next to her on the table, disguised as a copy of _Quidditch through the Ages_. Granted, it probably belonged to the first year that had just left the Great Hall, with an utterly confused expression on his face, but she hadn't actually noticed that he'd left, so she couldn't give it back to him.

In Defence Against the Dark Arts, Umbridge walked around the room quietly. "Miss Homing, please empty your bag," she said, standing behind Mia. She looked up from book, where she had been counting how many words were on the page. She'd only reached one hundred and twenty eight.

"Why?" she asked.

"Just do it." Mia smiled, knowing that the only thing Umbridge would find would be that first year's copy of _Quidditch through the Ages_. Umbridge flicked through it, but all she could see was information on British teams. Scowling, Umbridge handed the copy back, showing Mia a picture of Harry staring up at her.

"What did you expect to find?" she asked. Umbridge didn't answer her.

That evening, Mia, Fred and George returned form the kitchens with Butterbeer and cakes. Fred and George managed to enlarge the picture of Harry, and stuck it up on the wall. Harry, Ron and Hermione walked in just as the poster was saying "The Ministry are morons!" Harry and Ron laughed, and Hermione smiled a bit. As it turned out, Hermione got rather annoyed rather quickly, and went to bed after just an hour.

When Harry went up to bed a few hours later, Mia riffled his hair, grinning as he turned a light shade of red.

**So… how was that?**

**Ok, so, in the next few chapters, I'm going to be putting in the last DA meeting. You know, the one where everyone learns Patronus' and where Umbridge comes and finds them and blah, blah, blah… and I already have Mia's Patronus sorted out… but I'm not quite sure about Fred and George… so… could you give me little help? Please?**


	12. The First Time

**Hey, people, how you all doing?**

**Anyways, thanks to: Bug-Eyes-Blue, Sam, the Anon, Katie, Bellaroe, rowellylovesgryffindor and CinnamonMintiMoon** **for reviewing. **

**Disclaimer: Please explain to me how I would own anyone but Mia?**

**Ok… so… short chapter here… but I think you'll like it…**

Chapter 12: The First Time

"Ok, ok, ok… so… what if the goblins _didn't_-"

"The war would have still started."

"But if they-"

"Mia, there have been many wars between goblins and wizards throughout the centuries. If one of them didn't happen, then another one would have probably taken its place," Hermione said. Mia huffed and spooned some carrots into her mouth. She had been trying to figure out a way that all the goblin vs wizard wars could have been prevented. Something that turned out to be very difficult seeing as she had never paid attention in her History of Magic classes- and received a 'T' in her OWL.

"Just face it, Mia, you're never gunna win," Fred said. Mia opened her mouth to reply, but was stopped by a sound that was somewhere between a shriek and sob, coming from the Entrance Hall. Everyone in the Great Hall stopped talking, and looked towards the double doors. The noise sounded again, and a tiny, high laugh flowed through the doors. Slowly, everyone in the Hall moved into the Entrance Hall, crowding around the centre. Mia shuffled up the stairs, with Fred, George, Hermione and Ron trailing behind her. She stopped next to Neville Longbottom, who had finished dinner early and was making his way up to the common room. They All stared at the scene below.

Trelawney and Umbridge were standing in the middle of the crowd. Trelawney was holding her wand, and what looked like an empty bottle of some kind. Her hair was a mess and her massive glasses were askew. The many shawls she wore were falling off of her shoulders and onto the floor. On the floor next to her were two large trunks- looking as if they had just been chucked down at her.

Umbridge was standing on the stairs above her, a tiny smile playing on her ugly face. Her hands were clasped together, and her feet were touching at the heels, toes pointing forward. The air around her was pulsing with authority she shouldn't even have.

Down bellow, Mia saw Harry skid to a stop at the front of the crowd. She saw McGonagall by the doors, looking repulsed by what she was seeing. She saw Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas whispering to each other directly below her. She saw Professor Sprout and Professor Flitwick standing with sympathy etched on their faces.

"No!" Trelawney cried, "NO!" she started to sob, "This cannot be happening… it cannot… I refuse to accept it!"

"You didn't realise this was coming?" Umbridge mocked, smugness clear on her features, "Incapable though you are of predicting even tomorrow's weather, you must surely have realised that your pitiful performance during my inspections, and lack of any improvement, would make it inevitable that you would be sacked?"

"You c - can't!" tears started to pour form her eyes, falling into her messy hair and shawls, "you c - can't sack me! I've b - been here sixteen years! H - Hogwarts is in - my h - home!" Mia felt a pang of pity for her. She'd never really liked Trelawney- always thought she was a fraud, like many students- and she'd only gotten a 'D' in her OWL… but not only was Trelawney being fired, she was being humiliated as well.

"It _was_ your home," Umbridge corrected, and Trelawney fell onto on of her trunks. Umbridge continued, "until an hour ago, when the Minister for Magic countersigned your Order of Dismissal. Now kindly remove yourself from this Hall. You are embarrassing us." she made a small shooing motion with her hands. Mia felt disgust slip through her, she clenched her fists- wishing she could jump down from the staircase and pummel Umbridge.

Then, much to everyone's surprise, McGonagall pushed past the crying Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil, and strode up to Trelawney, pulling a handkerchief from her robes and gave it to Trelawney, who accepted it greatly and blew her nose in it loudly. Umbridge's smile faltered.

"There, there, Sybill," McGonagall was saying, "calm down," she patted Trelawney's back, "blow your nose on this, it's not as bad as you think, now… you are not going to have to leave Hogwarts…" but Umbridge laughed,

"Oh really, Professor McGonagall? And your authority for that statement is...?'

"That would be mine." Everyone's head whipped around. Dumbledore standing there, back straight and head held high. The double doors leading outside were open, and it seemed as if a slight breezes came rushing through the Hall. The mist from outside curled around Dumbledore's feet, the stars shining behind him.

"Yours, Professor Dumbledore?" Umbridge's smile had left her face completely, but she still gave a horrible little laugh. "I'm afraid you do not understand the position," she walked forward, and several first years huddled together, cringing as she went past them. "I have here an Order of Dismissal signed by myself and the Minister for Magic. Under the terms of Educational Decree Number Twenty-three, the High Inquisitor of Hogwarts has the power to inspect, place upon probation and sack any teacher she- that is to say, I- feel is not performing to the standards required by the Ministry of Magic. I have decided that Professor Trelawney is not up to scratch. I have dismissed her." She was smiling again now, more evilly, and there was a horrible spark in her eye. She was enjoying this. This had probably been the best thing that had happened to her all year.

"You are quite right, of course, Professor Umbridge," Dumbledore said, inclining his head slightly. Mia wondered how he could show such respect to her. "As High Inquisitor you have every right to dismiss my teachers. You do not, however, have the authority to send them away from the castle. I am afraid that the power to do that still resides with the Headmaster, and it is my wish that Professor Trelawney continue to live at Hogwarts." Umbridge's eyes widened manically. Mia smirked. Beside her, Fred leaned back against the wall, and on the other side of her, Neville looked form Dumbledore, to Umbridge, to Trelawney, and back to Dumbledore. Trelawney laughed wildly.

"No- no, I'll g-go, Dumbledore!" she said, in a failed attempt at sounding dignified, "I sh-shall leave Hogwarts and s-seek my fortune elsewhere-"

"No," Dumbledore said, with a slightly harsh tone, "It is my wish that you remain, Sybill. Might I ask you to escort Sybill back upstairs, Professor McGonagall?"

"Of course… up you get, Sybill…" she helped Trelawney up and Sprout came running out of the crowd, and together, they help Trelawney up the stairs. The students gathered on the stairs leaned back to let the pass. Flitwick flicked his wand and the trunks flew after him as he followed.

Umbridge looked furious now. She had unclasped her hands, and they were clenched- just like Mia's. When Mia noticed this, she unclenched her own and crossed her arms instead. She did not wish to mimic Umbridge in any way, shape or form.

"And what," Umbridge hissed, "are you going to do with her once I appoint a new Divination teacher who needs her lodgings?"

"Oh, that won't be a problem… you see, I have already found us a new Divination teacher, and he will prefer lodgings on the ground floor," Dumbledore smiled.

"You've found… You've found? Might I remind you, Dumbledore, that under Educational Decree Number Twenty-two-"

"The Ministry has the right to appoint a suitable candidate if -and only if- the Headmaster is unable to find one," said Dumbledore. "And I am happy to say that on this occasion I have succeeded. May I introduce you?"

There was the faint sound of hooves clopping against stone. People who were close to the door backed away and muttered to each other. Then a man entered the hall, with white-blonde hair… and then a horse came in after him, the same colour as the man's hair. It took Mia a second to realise that they were joined… a Centaur… Mia gaped at him.

"This is Firenze," Dumbledore said to Umbridge, "I think you'll find him suitable!" Mia stifled a laugh at the look of utter shock and disgust on Umbridge's face.

The week rolled on and Mia was walking through the Entrance Hall after Herbology, and she saw George waiting for her.

"Hey," she said, as she put her Herbology book back into her bag after shaking off all the mud and dirt.

"Hi," he replied.

"Where's Fred?" she asked, slinging her bag over her shoulder.

"He's up in the common room…" George paused.

"What?" Mia asked.

"Um… I need to talk to you…"

"Yeah?" he nodded to the doors and she followed him.

"I've just been out here…" she muttered.

They walked a little way past the greenhouses- where they saw that Sprout was now teaching a class of first years- and then George stopped, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Well?" Mia asked, "What did you wanna talk about?"

"Um…" he swallowed, "ok… um…"

"George, you alright?" she asked.

"What? Yeah, I'm fine!"

"So… what do you wanna talk about?"

"Ok… um…" Mia looked up at him and started fiddling with her necklace. "Ok… I…" he stopped again. Why was he so nervous? She was looking at him expectantly. He opened his mouth again. "I… love you…" he finally said.

It took a second for what he had just said to register, but when it did, Mia dropped her necklace, but her hand stayed in place. She looked up at him and blinked slowly, then, just as slowly, brought her hand back down to her side. Finally, she opened her mouth to speak.

"Um…" she really hadn't expected that, "um…" she _really_ hadn't expected that.

George looked down at her. She wasn't replying… why wasn't she replying? That was a bad sign… wasn't it? Something was twisting slowly in his stomach. Her hand dropped jerkily back down to her side as she continued to look up at him. She started to stutter, "wh-… si-… I-… b-… lo-… um…" she fell into silence. Some how, this made it worse for George. She was _trying_ to answer… but couldn't… _why_? She licked her lips.

Mia thought back. She'd had fleeting feelings about something that had been confusing. They had always happened when she was with George. She hadn't really understood them. But in a few seconds of silence, she pieced them together- making sure that they fit together. She didn't want to say something, only to have them turn out to not be true later.

"I… um…" her wide eyes flicked away from his face, to the grass, then locked her eyes with his again. "I… I love… you, too," she replied.

George's stomach gave a small jerk as he heard the words. He half grinned and she licked her lips again, smiling back at him. Suddenly, he came down and pressed their lips together. Her arms wrapped themselves around his neck as she leaned into him. One of his hands rested on her waist and the other ran through her hair. The kiss was… different… different to any others they'd had… it seemed… stronger…

**So… I hope that was ok… I tried to get an even balance of sweetness and awkwardness in there**

**Please Review!**


	13. Manic

'**Ello. How are you?**

**Thanks to: Rowellylovesgryffindor, Bellaroe, GraciieGoriie, the Anon and Sam for reviewing.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or anything to do with it, just Mia**

Chapter 13: Manic

McGonagall walked around the room, handing out the graded essays they had done the previous week. "One more grade like that, Thorns, and it'll be a detention!" she told the boy sitting in front of Mia. She turned around and slid Mia's essay across the desk to her, with a small 'E' scratched in the corner. "Better then your last few essays," she told Mia, "I suggest you keep up this standard of work or I doubt you will get a good enough grade in your NEWT."

"Sure thing, Professor," Mia said.

"What do you need to get in your NEWTs to be a Healer?" Fred asked, reading the essay over her shoulder.

"An 'E' in Transfiguration, Potions, Charms, Herbology and Defence Against the Dark Arts…" she replied.

"Good luck."

"You think I can't do it?" she asked, placing her essay back down on the desk and looking at Fred, eyebrows raised. He just shrugged.

"Well, you're _very_ supportive, ain't ya?"

"I know, right?" Mia just rolled her eyes.

"Remember, you need to think of a happy memory. A _really_ happy memory," Harry told them as he walked around the Room of Requirement. "And, then, once you've done that- and make sure it fills your mind and is the only thing you think about- once you've done that, all you do is… _Expecto Patronum_!" Harry's silvery-white stag came out of his wand and cantered around the room, then disappeared. Fred whistled. "So, have a go, I'll come round and see how you're doing." Everyone in the room dispersed and the room was soon full of people saying '_Expecto Patronum_!'

"Ok, then…" Mia sieved through her mind, trying to find a happy memory. "_Expecto Patronum_!" nothing happened.

"Bad luck, Mia," Fred said, patting her on the back.

"All right, then, you try!" Mia said, rolling her eyes.

"All right, then, I will!" Fred stood up straighter and flicked his was, saying "_Expecto Patronum_!" Overall, it should have been quite impressive, if something had happened. But nothing did. So it really wasn't. Mia smirked. "Oh, shut up," Fred muttered. George tried as well, but nothing happened when he did it, either.

The first person to master doing a Patronus was Luna. Her silver hare ran around the room, and several people stopped what they were doing to watch it. Luna beamed as Harry congratulated her. The next person to do it was Cho Chang- and Harry's praise was much more enthusiastic. Soon, a few other people either had animals zooming around them, or silvery wisps were coming out of their wands.

On her seventh attempt, the silvery wisp came out of Mia's wand feebly. She frowned slightly, and tried again. She'd flicked through several happy memories now… her and George's first kiss… when he told her he loved her… when she got her letter from at the age of eleven… being Sorted… but none of the, seemed to work. "Something happy… something happy… something happy…" she murmured, twirling her wand around in her fingers, walking around in small circles. She racked her brains, sifting through memories. There was the time her, Fred and George had gone completely hyper in second year… or the weeks she spent at Jess' during the summer holidays… when she'd first gone to Diagon Alley… just after she'd gotten un-petrified… she went through loads of them.

"_Expecto Patronum_!" something flew out of her wand and went around the room, but it was gone before she could catch a glimpse of it.

"Well done, Mia!" Harry said, she jumped and turned around, "sorry."

"Don't worry." she replied, "Did you see what it was?"

"No, sorry," he shook his head, "try again." she nodded and paused for a second.

"_Expecto Patronum_!" the hawk flew from her wand and circled the room. Mia turned as it swooped over Fred's head.

"OI!" he yelled and Mia giggled. The dissolved and Fred whipped around, "did you just do that?"

"Why yes, yes I did," she replied, then giggled again.

"Well done," Harry told her, "keep practising, make sure you can do it every time." Mia nodded as he walked away. It took her a couple more minutes to do it again, but soon, the shining hawk was flying around her head nine times out of ten.

"Show off," Fred muttered after she sent the hawk to fly into his face. She laughed and sent it flying after Cho Chang's swan.

"Remember that producing a Patronus in a brightly lit room is very different to producing one in front of Dementors," Harry reminded them.

"Oh, don't be such a killjoy," said Cho as she made her swan swoop away from Mia's hawk, "they're so pretty!"

"They're not supposed to be pretty," Harry rolled his eyes, "they're supposed to protect you. What we really need is a Boggart or something; that's how I learned, I had to conjure a Patronus while the Boggart was pretending to be a Dementor-"

"But that would be really scary!" Lavender Brown interrupted.

"Yeah, but, Harry," Mia said, letting her hawk dissolve, "a Boggart wouldn't exactly work, though, would it? I mean, 'cause Boggarts turn into whatever the person's scared of most… and I don't think that my biggest fear's a Dementor…" but Harry was stopped from answering by Parvati Patil, who had accidentally thrown her wand at his back.

Mia looked around as the door slammed. Several other people did too, and a few of them pointed their wands at it. Something small came jogging past Mia's legs, and she looked down to see one of the House-Elves from the kitchen running up to Harry, wearing a tower of knitted hats on its head.

"Hi, Dobby!" Harry said, then his forehead creased, "What are you- What's wrong?"

Everyone in the room had become silent now, dropping their wands down by their sides. Luna's hare- which was the last Patronus in the room- disappeared, leaving an eerie silver smoke. People started to slowly make their way towards Harry and the elf.

"Harry Potter, sir," Dobby squeaked, "Harry Potter, sir… Dobby has come to warn you… but the house-elves have been warned not to tell!"

The Elf suddenly ran into the wall and a few people around him staggered back. But because of his many hats, all dobby did was bounce back.

"What's happened, Dobby?" Harry asked urgently.

"Harry Potter… she… she…" the elf gasped

"Who's 'she' Dobby?" Harry asked. But everyone in the room knew who 'she' was. Subconsciously, Mia gripped her wand tighter.

"Umbridge?" Harry asked quietly, and Dobby nodded.

"What about her?" Harry pressed, kneeling down slightly. "Dobby- she hasn't found out about this- about us- about the DA?" nobody needed Dobby to answer. They all already knew the answer.

"Is she coming?"

"Yes, Harry Potter, yes!" the elf screamed.

Harry stood up and looked around at everyone. Lavender and Parvati were clutching each other's arms. Hermione and Ron were looking horrified. Neville was staring at the door, as if he could stop Umbridge from coming just by wishing it. Mia's eyes had gone wider then usual. Fred and George had raised their wands. The room itself seemed to have gotten darker, as if it knew what was coming.

"WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? RUN!" Harry bellowed. As one, everyone in the room darted towards the doors. Angelina, Alicia, Katie, Mia, George and Fred flew down the corridors.

"Library!" Alicia suddenly shouted.

"What?"

"_The library_! Its closer then Gryffindor Tower!"

"I'm not going to the library!" Fred said indignantly.

"But-!"

"I am _not_ going to the library!" he yelled.

"Fine! Get caught and expelled!" Katie yelled, as her, Angelina and Alicia rounded a corner. Mia rolled her eyes.

"C'mon!" she muttered, grabbing George's hand and pulling him around a corner.

"Hey!" Fred yelled. He hand gone past the turn off, and obviously decided to keep going, because he didn't catch up with them. Mia and George stopped running, breathing hard, faces flushed and looking around. They stayed silent for a second.

"Can you hear that?" Mia whispered. The sound of running footsteps was approaching them. George peered around the corner and looked back, mouthing the word _Slytherin_. Mia grimaced and licked her lips. The running footsteps got closer. An idea struck her.

She grabbed onto George's collar and pulled him down, smashing their lips together. He made some confused, muffled sound, but a second later, a tall, burly Slytherin came skidding around the corner.

"OI!" he yelled. Mia and George broke apart, still breathing heavily from running. The three of them stared at each other for a second.

"You got a problem, mate?" Mia asked, placing her hands on her hips.

"What you doin' out here?" the Slytherin said, striding forwards until he was towering over Mia. She looked up at him.

"Bit obvious, innit?" she replied. The Slytherin was grasping his wand and it was twitching forwards.

"Where was you before you was here?" he asked.

"Don't seen how that's any of your business."

"_Confundo_," she heard George whisper behind her. The Slytherin's eyes glazed over and he looked even more stupid then before.

"What are you doing here?" Mia asked, peering up into his face.

"Um…"

"I think you're meant to be down on the fifth floor," Mia told him.

"You sure?" Mia licked her lips.

"Uh-huh."

"Oh… right…" the Slytherin said as he turned and walked away jerkily. Mia licked her lips again and breathed out a sigh of relief, then looked up at George slyly.

"You know…" she said, "we could always carry on…" George smirked and kissed her again. He leaned back against the wall as she pressed into him, wrapping his arms around her.

"OI!" they jumped apart. Turning, they saw Fred standing there, with a 'what the hell' expression on his face. "I don't really want to be scarred for life!" he said. Rolling her eyes, Mia walked back down the corridor, slapped Fred on the arm, and rounded the corner.

The next day, there was a bunch of first years milling around the notice board in the common room, whispering stuff. "oh my God…" Mia muttered, reading the noticed above the first year's heads.

"What?" Angelina asked. Mia pointed at the notice.

BY ORDER OF THE MINISTRY OF MAGIC

Dolores Jane Umbridge (High Inquisitor) has replaced Albus Dumbledore as Head of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

The above is in accordance with Educational Decree Number Twenty-Eight.

Signed: Cornelius Oswald Fudge, Minister for Magic

"What?" Angelina hissed.

"The Minister's middle name is _Oswald_?" one of the first year boys.

"I suppose you think this is funny, do you?" Mia snapped at him. The boy went slightly pale as Angelina pulled Mia away. As they went down to the Great Hall, they passed at least a hundred more posters.

"Harry!" Mia said, as she slid into a seat in front of him at the Gryffindor table, "what happened?" Harry groaned and then told her and Angelina how he had been caught by Draco Malfoy, taken to Dumbledore's office, how Marietta had been the traitor and now had the word 'SNEAK' etched on her face in large spots (to which Mia burst out laughing) and how the Minister for Magic had been there, along with two Aurors and Umbridge. And finally, how Dumbledore had blasted them all unconscious and left. As soon as he finished his story, Fred and George sat on either side of Mia and Angelina.

"What happened?" Fred asked.

"Where's Dumbledore?" asked George. Again, Harry groaned and told the story… again.

Later that day, Mia, Fred and George strode across the Entrance Hall, seeing Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ernie Macmillan, and Draco Malfoy standing in the middle of it.

"-A Mudblood, Granger, so ten off for that." Mia's jaw clenched. They saw Ron take put his wand and Hermione push his hand down.

"New Head, new times," Malfoy gloated, "be good now, Potty… Weasel King…" he left, laughing.

"He was bluffing… He can't be allowed to dock points… that would be ridiculous… it would completely undermine the prefect system." Ernie was saying as Mia and the twins drew nearer.

The Gryffindor, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw hourglasses were getting emptier and emptier by the second.

"Noticed, have you?" Fred said dully.

"Malfoy just docked us all about fifty points," Harry hissed.

"I know, we heard," Mia said, falling into step next to Hermione.

"Yeah, Montague tried to do us during break," said George.

"What do you mean, 'tried'?" Ron asked.

"He never managed to get all the words out due to the fact that we forced him headfirst into that Vanishing Cabinet on the first floor," Fred said casually.

"But you'll get into terrible trouble!" Hermione gasped.

"Not until Montague reappears, and that could take weeks," Fred shrugged "I dunno where we sent him." Hermione looked at Mia.

"I wasn't actually there," she replied. She'd been in the library doing Potions homework with Angelina.

"Anyway… we've decided we don't care about getting into trouble any more," Fred told her.

"Have you ever?" Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Course we have. Never been expelled, have we?"

"Surprisingly," muttered Mia.

"We've always known where to draw the line," said Fred.

"We might have put a toe across it occasionally," said George.

"But we've always stopped short of causing real mayhem," Fred said cheerily.

"But now?" Ron asked and the twins grinned.

"Well, now-" George said

"-What with Dumbledore gone-" said Fred.

"-We reckon a bit of mayhem-"

"-Is exactly what our dear new Head deserves."

"You mustn't! You really mustn't! She'd love a reason to expel you!" Hermione whispered frantically.

"You don't get it, Hermione, do you?" said Fred, "we don't care about staying anymore. We'd walk out right now if we weren't determined to do our bit for Dumbledore first. So, anyway, phase one is about to begin. I'd get in the Great Hall for lunch, if I were you, that way the teachers will see you can't have had anything to do with it."

"Anything to do with what?" said Hermione anxiously.

"You'll see, run along, now."

"Mia!"

"Hermione, you keep expecting me to stop them doing whatever their doing," Mia said, "but it ain't gunna happen!" and with that, her, Fred and George entered the Great Hall.

"So… what _are_ you doing?" Mia asked as she sat down. Fred tapped his nose.

"You'll just have to wait and see. Now, if you don't mind, we have some chaos to attend to," they grinned evilly and left her sitting at the table. She glanced to her left- where Neville was sitting- and then to her right- where Colin Creevey was sitting- then down at her plate. She stood up and went to sit opposite Ron and Hermione, who had just sat down.

"Where's Harry?"

"Flitch said Umbridge wanted to see him," Hermione replied, "where's Fred and George?"

"Doing whatever they said they'd do."

"Wait a minute…" Ron said, "you don't _know_?"

"Obviously," Mia replied dryly, piling some chicken onto her plate.

"But-" Hermione cut him off.

"I still don't believe you're letting them do these things. You know full well that they'll probably end up getting expelled!"

"Hermione," Mia said softly, "you heard them, they don't care-"

"But you must!"

"Why?"

"Oh, I don't know! You're going out with George and Fred's your best friend! If Harry and Ron went and did something to get themselves expelled, I'd be quite worried!"

"So," Mia laughed, "which one are _you_ going out with Hermione, and which one's your best friend?"

"That isn't the point!" Hermione almost shrieked. A couple of sixth years down the table looked at them. "what if they _do_ get expelled?"

"Then they can go start their joke shop!" Mia said, moving along the bench slightly so a third year could sit next to her friend, "and then I'll have more time on my hands to study for my NEWTs. And if they _don't_ get expelled, well, I won't exactly be complaining, will I? So its win-win either way," she shrugged.

"But… but… but then-"

"Hermione, as I have said _countless_ of times before- I am not Mrs Weasley; I do not have any control over them. Stop trying to pretend I do." She stuck a bit of chicken in her mouth.

"But-"

"Hermione, let the girl eat in peace!" Ron said tiredly. Hermione rolled her eyes and made a 'hmph' noise.

A while later, someone shrieked. Mia, Hermione and Ron's heads shot up from their plates, to the double doors, where a large red rocket was zooming down the aisle, red and gold stars trailing from its end. "Excellent!" Ron yelled over the noise of the chaos that had suddenly erupted. More fireworks flew into the hall, soaring around people's heads and over the four house tables. Mia laughed and ducked as a purple dragon came swooping over her head.

"I'll see you later!" she called to Ron and Hermione, dashing out of the Hall. She followed the jumble of people running up the stairs, and met Fred, George and Harry on the third floor, all of whom were laughing. "I-MEN-SE!" she yelled, as more fireworks skittered across the walls.

"Why, thank you!" Fred replied, giving a mock-bow.

While the twins had a free period next, Mia had Herbology. A vibrant lime green, shocking pink and electric blue rocket followed her across the grounds and into the greenhouse. She made no attempt to shun it, but did have to duck several times. She passed Sparklers writing words in the air, and Catherine Wheels spinning uncontrollably.

When she entered the Greenhouse, she saw about seven other fireworks wrecking havoc amongst the plants. Venomous Tentacle snaked up their vines, trying to catch the sparks. Honking Daffodils hooted louder then usual. Sprout was standing in the middle of them, trying to calm her precious plants, but doing nothing in particular to stop the fireworks. Once all the students had arrived, Sprout put on some weird expression between a grin and a grimace.

"Oh dear, I _do_ believe that these," she pointed the rocket that had followed Mia down from the castle, "will disrupt our lesson…" a couple of the students laughed. "Miss Homing, do you mind trying to find our new Headmistress? I'm sure she wont mind helping us out…" the students laughed again.

"Course, Professor," Mia grinned, and left the Greenhouse again. She found Umbridge exiting Professor McGonagall's room, with sweat and soot mixed on her face. She shot a wink towards Harry, Ron and Hermione- who were watching Umbridge leave with expressions of immense glee- before saying loudly, "Professor Sprout needs some help down in the greenhouses. There are about ten really big, really loud fireworks trying to kill all of her plants." The class of fifth years laughed and McGonagall's lips twitched before the door closed. Umbridge clenched her teeth.

"Of course," she said, with weird little jerk of her head. Mia smiled. As they walked back through the castle, Mia looked over her shoulder.

"You know, I'm sure you'll be an _excellent_ headmistress," she said, lacing sarcasm delicately into her words.

"Oh, really?" Umbridge asked, her voice shaking.

"Oh, yes," Mia replied, smirking, "I mean, you're doing _such_ a _good job_ getting rid of _all_ of these fireworks!" a dragon whizzed past her head and Umbridge shrieked.

"Oh, here we go," Mia said as they reached the greenhouse. Sprout and all the students were standing outside, each holding one or two plants that they had obviously saved from being set alight.

"Ah, Professor Umbridge!" Sprout beamed, "I would largely appreciate it if you could get rid of all of these fireworks for me. They are distracting us!"

"Of course," Umbridge muttered through clenched teeth. As she entered the greenhouse, the students burst out laughing.

"Now, now," Sprout said, but she, too, was grinning.

Umbridge didn't manage to get the fireworks out of the greenhouse during their lesson, so the students spent the time lounging around on the grass, occasionally answering revision question Sprout asked them. Mia started talking to a tall Hufflepuff girl about Dumbledore.

"I mean, _I _heard that Fudge is in St Mungo's and Dumbledore's living in this secret cave in the Channel!" the Hufflepuff girl said.

"Who the hell did you hear that from?" Mia laughed.

"I over heard two Ravenclaws talking about it!" Mia scoffed.

"Yeah, well," Mia rolled her eyes, "_I _got the story straight from Harry-"

"How did you do that?" the Hufflepuff exclaimed, "I haven't been able to get anywhere _near_ him all day!"

"Well… I do kinda know him… anyway- yes, Professor?"

"Properties of a Mandrake Root?" Sprout asked.

"Un-petrify people," Mia answered. Sprout nodded and turned to a Ravenclaw. "Anyways, as I was saying, all Harry said was that Dumbledore left while Fudge, Umbridge, and the Aurors were out cold. No one knows where he's gone! So I don't know _how_ those Ravenclaws got the story that he was hiding in a cave inthe Channel!" the Hufflepuff girl shrugged. The bell rang and Sprout dismissed. Umbridge still hadn't come out of the greenhouse…

That evening in the common room, everyone was crowding around Fred and George. Some of them congratulating them, some asking how they made the fireworks, and others placing orders for when they had enough to sell. Hermione managed to get to the front of the crowd, and for a second, Mia thought she was going to tell them off. But then she said, "they were wonderful fireworks."

"Thanks," George said, surprised, "Weasleys' Wildfire Whiz-bangs. Only thing is… we used our whole stock; we're going to have to start again from scratch now." He shrugged.

"It was worth it, though," said Fred, taking an order off of a very short first year girl. "If you want to add your name to the waiting list, Hermione, it's five Galleons for your Basic Blaze box and twenty for the Deflagration Deluxe!" Hermione just rolled her eyes, grinned at Mia, and left, pushing past some third years.

"They really have outdone themselves, haven't they?" Mia looked round and saw Ginny.

"Mmm…" Mia agreed, "sometimes I wonder how they find the time! What with… um… no, wait… I do see how they find the time." Ginny chuckled and left, going to talk to one of her friends.

That night, Mia, Angelina and Alicia all stayed up, standing at the window and watching the fireworks stream past. At one point, two fireworks collided, and even more of them sprung away, even more ablaze and colourful. One of them shot across a centimetre from the window, and Mia swore she could see each individual spark.

"they're geniuses! Absolute geniuses!" Alicia laughed, watching a firecracker blow up.

**So… how was that? I had fun writing the manic with the fireworks…**

**Anyways… just thought I'd say that I everything planned out for the rest of this story…**

**Please review!**


	14. Leaving

***Sigh* so… a really bad chest infection, Christmas shopping, and a few other things has stopped me from updating for a while… but I'm back now!**

**So, with thanks to: Sam, Bellaroe, MaraudersLiveOnAsAnimagus, rowellylovesgryffindor, emmgr2, Phantom MarianneP and the Anon for reviewing.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter- just Mia**

**Also… I've decided to put the NEWTs one week before the OWLs. Now, I **_**know**_** in Order of the Phoenix it mentions that the Seventh Years do the NEWTs at the same time as the fifth years do the OWLs… but I don't really understand how two different years can do two different tests at the same time… so I'm putting the NEWTs a week before… I hope no one has a problem with this…**

Chapter 14: Leaving

Easter came around and Mia spent most of her time trying to revise. Notice the word _trying_. Fred and George stopped her from doing it a lot of the time. One evening, however, Mia managed to sit down in the common room with her Transfiguration book and Hermione.

"I don't understand how you can so _calm_!" Hermione was saying. Mia rolled her eyes. Fred and George had gone to do something to do with Weasley's Wizard Wheezes; Ron, Angelina, Alicia, Katie and Ginny were at Quidditch practice, and Harry was in the library. "Oh no!" she said.

"What?"

"I've just realised! I'm revising Arithmancy one hour less then the rest of my lessons!" Mia blinked at her.

"Um… sure…" she looked back down at her Transfiguration book. She was distracted by all the little doodles around the text. There was a little stick man with an umbrella and rain pouring down on his head.

"Aren't you worried _at all_?" Hermione asked, "I mean… you have one less week to revise then we do…"

"Course I'm not worried… I have nothing to be worried _about_!" Hermione just stared at her.

"Nothing… _nothing to worry about_?" Mia shrugged. Hermione was shaking her head, "and what are you going to do if you fail your NEWTs?"

"I won't," Mia replied confidently.

"-Fancy banking," Hermione was saying. Her, Ron and Harry were reading through career leaflets.

"Hey," Fred said as they all sat down. Mia sat down next to Ron, who was reading through a pamphlet on Law Enforcement.

"Ginny's had a word with us about you," Fred told Harry. "She says you need to talk to Sirius?"

"What?" Hermione exclaimed. Mia picked up the leaflet on St Mungo's, flicking though it. Good, the required grades hadn't changed.

"Yeah… yeah, I thought I'd like-" Hermione cut Harry off.

"Don't be so ridiculous," she snapped, "With Umbridge groping around in the fires and frisking all the owls?"

"Well, we think we can find a way around that," George smirked, "It's a simple matter of causing a diversion. Now, you might have noticed that we've been rather quiet on the mayhem front during the Easter holidays?" Mia rolled her eyes.

"What was the point," Fred said, "we asked ourselves, of disrupting leisure time?"

"No point at all," George continued, "we answered ourselves. And of course, we'd have messed up people's studying, too, which would be the very last thing we'd want to do."

"But its business as usual from tomorrow," Mia rolled her eyes again. "And if we're going to be causing a bit of uproar, why not do it so that Harry can have his chat with Sirius?"

"Yes, but still," Hermione whispered, "even if you _do_ cause a diversion, how is Harry supposed to talk to him?"

"Umbridge's office," said Harry quietly. Mia looked over at him. His face was thoughtful.

"Are. You. Insane?" Hermione asked through gritted teeth.

"I don't think so," Harry answered casually. Mia snorted, but fell quiet after Hermione shot her a look.

"And how are you going to get in there in the first place?" she asked.

"Sirius's knife."

"What knife?" Mia asked.

"Christmas before last Sirius gave me a knife that'll open any lock," Harry explained "So even if she's bewitched the door so Alohomora won't work, which I bet she has-"

"What do you think about this?" Hermione shot at Ron. He jumped and dropped his leaflet, hesitating.

"I dunno," he muttered, "if Harry wants to do it, it's up to him, isn't it?"

"Spoken like a true friend and Weasley," Fred clapped him on the back as Mia rolled her eyes. Again. "Right, then. We're thinking of doing it tomorrow, just after lessons, because it should cause maximum impact if everybody's in the corridors- Harry, we'll set it off in the east wing somewhere, draw her right away from her own office- I reckon we should be able to guarantee you, what, twenty minutes?" he said, looking at George.

"Easy," George nodded.

"What sort of diversion is it?" Ron asked, wearily.

"You'll see, little bro," Fred grinned. "At least, you will if you trot along to Gregory the Smarmy's corridor round about five o'clock tomorrow." Hermione looked at Mia.

"Don't bother," Mia said, standing up.

"So… what _are _you doing tomorrow?" Mia asked as they made their way out of the common room.

"For goodness' sake, you three just came in!" the Fat Lady said shrilly.

"Ah… now _that_ is our little secret," Fred said, "however… I guess we _could_ tell you one thing…"

"Yeah?" She asked.

"We're leaving." Mia stopped and looked up at them, blinking.

"What?" she asked.

"We're leaving," Fred replied.

"T-tomorrow? You're leaving… tomorrow?"

"That's what I just said." Mia looked between them.

"And… when did you decide this?"

"The other day," Fred shrugged.

"When was the other day?"

"Last week?" Fred said, looking at George, who nodded.

"Yeah, sometime last week… just after Ginny talked to us."

"So," Mia said, "you've been planning to leave for _a week_… and you've only just told me? The _day_ before you do it?" Fred and George glanced at each other.

"Well… yeah… I mean… we were gunna run it by Harry first-"

"But you were _still_ gunna go it, anyway!" Mia said, glaring up at them, "whether Harry needed help or not! I mean… it might not been _tomorrow_, but it would've still been soon!"

"Mia, don't get pissed off," Fred told her.

"Pissed off?" she replied, "Pissed off? Oh! No… no, I'm _not _pissed off! I'm _absolutely ecstatic_ that you left it 'til the _last minute_ to tell me you were leaving!" she stalked past them and down the hallway.

"Maybe we should of told her earlier…" Fred said.

"Oh, ya think?"

A couple of hours later, Mia exited the library, a finished potions essay in her hand. "WHOA!" she said, as she walked straight into two people. She crossed her arms when she saw it was Fred and George.

"Look… we're sorry, ok?" Fred said. She cocked her head to the side.

"What for?"

"Huh?"

"What are you sorry for?" she asked, popping her hip out. Fred sighed.

"We're sorry we didn't tell you were leaving until the very last minute," he said. Mia just looked at them for a second, tapping her fingers along her arm.

"I'm only forgiving you because if I don't… its gunna be another couple of months before I see you again." the twins grinned at her. She _tried _not to smile at them, but ended up beaming anyway.

"Just… tell me at an earlier date next time."

"Next time?" George asked, "You make it sound as if we're leaving school twice!" Mia rolled her eyes.

"With you two… I wouldn't be surprised if you managed it!"

The next day, Mia left her last class, and was pushed back down the stairs by a crowd of people. She fell smack-bang into a Slytherin, who pushed her forwards. "Watch where you're going!" he snarled. She stuck her middle finger up at him and joined the crowd flooding up the stairs.

She pushed her way to the front of the crowd. The boy next to Mia was covered in some horrible smelling substance, and she moved along the line to stand next to Lavender Brown. Nearly Headless Nick was floating around behind her, and teachers were spread about the crowd. Peeves was lying in the air above the crowd. And in the middle of the ring of people, stood Fred and George, with Umbridge fuming in front of them.

"So!" she was saying. "So… you think it amusing to turn a school corridor into a swamp, do you?" Mia bit down on her tongue to stop herself from laughing.

"Pretty amusing, yeah," Fred said confidently. Mia was suddenly pushed into Lavender by Filch, who went running up to Umbridge, clutching a piece of parchment.

"I've got the form, Headmistress," he rasped. "I've got the form and I've got the whips waiting… oh, let me do it now…" Mia's eyes widened. _Whips?_ She mouthed.

"Very good, Argus," she said. "You two are about to learn what happens to wrongdoers in _my_ school!" she smiled at Fred and George, who were just standing in front of her, with their arms crossed and smirking.

"You know what?" Fred said, "I don't think we are… George, I think we've outgrown full-time education."

"Yeah, I've been feeling that way myself," George agreed.

"Time to test our talents in the real world, d'you reckon?" said Fred.

"Definitely," said George. Mia rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, smirking. Fred and George raised their wands.

"_Accio_ brooms!" they said together. Everyone looked around as there was a loud _crash_ somewhere in the castle. Fred and George's brooms flew through the crowd, stopping in front of the twins, who grabbed them.

"We won't be seeing you," Fred said, mounting his broom.

"Yeah, don't bother to keep in touch," said George, copying his brother. They looked around at the crowd. George spotted Mia and winked at her. She rolled her eyes and smiled. _Bye_, she mouthed.

"If anyone fancies buying a Portable Swamp, as demonstrated upstairs," Fred called out to them, "come to number ninety-three, Diagon Alley- Weasleys' Wizarding Wheezes… our new premises!"

"Special discounts to Hogwarts students who swear they're going to use our products to get rid of this old bat!" George jerked his thumb at Umbridge, who turned a brilliant shade of red.

"STOP THEM!" she shrieked, at the exact same moment Fred and George kicked off. They stopped level with Peeves, and turned to him.

"Give her hell from us, Peeves!"

Mia shot out laughter as Peeves threw off his hat and saluted the twins. Fred and George grinned down at the crowd for a second, then shot off, out of the double doors. Mia was laughing and clapping along with everyone else in the Hall… except the Slytherins, Umbridge and Filch.

The next day, Mia was sitting dreamily in Charms, doodling on a piece of parchment. Everyone was meant to be revising, but instead, they were all talking animatedly. She was just about to put the arms on a stick man when Flitwick came scuttling over. She snatched her picture covered parchment off the desk as he stopped in front of her.

"Miss Homing…" he said.

"Yes?"

"Would you happen to know how Mr Weasley and Mr Weasley managed to create that swamp?" Flitwick asked, curiosity lacing his voice. Mia grinned.

"Even if I did, sir, I couldn't tell you," she replied, "sorry."

"Oh… well," Flitwick replied, slightly disappointed, "well… good work," he looked at Mia's closed book, "I see you have been practicing the Closing Charm."

"Um… sure…"

"Well, very good… ten points to Gryffindor," he scuttled away again. Mia just looked at him, beaming.

Unfortunately, Fred and George's departure did not sweeten all of the teacher's moods. In fact, Umbridge was storming around the castle, trying to punish anyone and everyone. That evening, Mia was walking back from the library, carrying a pile of books.

"Miss Homing!" she stopped. She turned around and saw Umbridge stalking towards her. "May I ask as to why you are out of your common room so late?" she asked harshly.

"Well… it's not even nine o'clock!" Mia replied.

"According to _my_ watch, Miss Homing, it is three minutes past."

"Well, according to_ my_ watch," Mia dropped her books deliberately over Umbridge's feet, then held up her wrist to show Umbridge her watch, "its one minute too… which means I have very right to be out of bed."

"I am afraid… that _your_ watch-"

"Delores…" McGonagall was striding up the corridor now, "can I ask why you are distracting one of my students from what ever she is doing?"

"Ah, Minerva, one of _your_ students is out of bed past curfew," Umbridge stated.

"Past curfew?" McGonagall looked from Mia to Umbridge, "it is only quarter to nine, and I very much doubt it is past curfew."

"_My_ watch, Minerva," Umbridge said, holding up her arm, "clearly states that it is-"

"This watch has been tampered with. It has been charmed to run precisely eighteen minutes fast," McGonagall said, "now, if you'll please leave my student alone, perhaps she can return to the common by nine o'clock and not suffer any punishment."

Umbridge looked like she was about to blow up. Then she turned on her heel and marched, stepping on some of Mia's books.

"Th-thanks, Professor…" Mia said, slightly stunned.

"I suggest you hurry back to Gryffindor Tower, Miss Homing… and I would put you're watch back fifteen minutes; Filch has a nasty habit of prowling the corridors at this time of night." McGonagall turned and walked away, but Mia thought she saw her smile slightly at her before doing so…

"Oh crap!" Mia said a few days later. She was in the dormitory with Angelina and Alicia.

"What?" Alicia asked.

"There's… there's only three weeks left to revise…" Mia almost whispered, "… oh my god, I'm _screwed_!"

"What? What do you mean you're screwed?" Angelina asked, sliding off her own bed and sitting next to Mia. Mia, however, just sat there, staring at her hands and breathing slightly too heavily.

"I can't revise in three weeks! _Three weeks_! Oh my god," she brought her hands up to clutch her face. "I mean… I might be able to do Charms… and maybe Herbology… but Potions… oh my god _Potions_! I'm gunna fail that… I can't fail it! But then if I do I won't be able to-"

"MIA!" Angelina and Alicia yelled together. Mia jumped and looked up at the two of them.

"You were _fine_ the other day!" Alicia said, "why are you suddenly panicking?"

"I dunno!"

"Fred and George _did_ kinda take you're mind off things…" Angelina supplied.

"What?"

"Well… I mean… they're not here anymore… so the only thing you can think about is your NEWTs…"

"Look, I don't _care_ whether it was Fred and George stopping me from panicking or if I had some magical, invisible don't-panic fairy that's suddenly stopped following me around… but I can't revise Potions, Transfiguration, Herbology, Charms _and_ Defence Against the Dark Arts in _three_ weeks!"

Angelina and Alicia glanced at each other. "You will. We'll… we'll get Hermione to draw you up a schedule!" Mia smiled weakly, then grabbed her Potions book and opened it at a random page.

**Ok… so… Fred and George are gone… and Mia is panicking about her NEWTs…**

**Anyways… Please Review!**


	15. Panic

**Allo! And how are you today? This chapter was actually surprisingly easy to write… funny, I thought it'd be quite hard…**

**Thanks to: MarianneP, rowellylovesgryffindor, Sam and the Anon for reviewing… you're all immense**

**Disclaimer: Am I J.K. Rowling? No. so I don't own Harry Potter. But I **_**do**_** own Mia**

Chapter 15: Panic

"Ok… ok, ok, ok…" Mia said, licking her lips. "The antidote to the Draught of Living Death is the Wiggenweld potion… Wiggenweld… _Wiggenweld_…" she licked her lips again. She was sitting on the common room floor, hunched over a stack of notes with her hair pulled back into a plait. "Um… Draught of Peace needs to simmer for seven minutes… _seven_ minutes, not eight… Syrup of _Hellebore_… with an 'E' after the 'L'… oh my God!" she scrunched her eyes together and cover her face with her hands.

Since Fred and George had left, Mia had spent most of her time revising. She'd started off doing it with Angelina and Alicia, but eventually, they kicked her out of the little 'study group' because she kept reading her notes out loud. So she resorted to sitting in a corner- usually until quite late at night- revising by wand light.

She sifted through her potions notes, licking her lips. "Gah!" she groaned, "seven or eight minutes?" she searched back through her notes and found the Draught of Peace note. "Seven… seven… seven…" she chanted, until the number was stuck in her head.

"I HATE REVISING!" she suddenly yelled, throwing her notes away from her. The few people left in the common room (a couple of fourth years) glanced at her, alarmed. But she just sat their, her eyes flicking around at the scattered parchment, breathing heavily. She licked her lips again and started fiddling with her necklace. She dropped her wand on the floor and clenched her fists- one around the necklace and the other around air. Her eyes glazed over and she started shaking her head. She licked her lips again.

"I'm gunna fail… oh my God, I'm gunna fail…" she muttered. She clutched her scalp and licked her lips again. "Wait a minute… I was like this during the OWLs and I got through them alright… and… oh my God, I'm talking to myself!" she licked her lips. Again. "Ok… um… no, that doesn't matter… Jess talks to herself all the time…" the fact that her cousin did it calmed her slightly, "just… calm…" she breathed in, then out. "Ok… what's the time?" she checked her watch. "MIDNIGHT?" the fourth years looked at her again. "Oh for… ok… get some sleep… um… and carry on tomorrow…" she stood up and gathered up her notes, rubbed her eyes and passed the fourth years. They looked up at her oddly. She stopped. "Wait 'til you're doing your NEWTs! You'll be the same!" she told them, and went up to the dormitory.

Just after she'd changed into her pajamas, she stopped, groaned and went back downstairs. The fourth years were still there, and her wand was lying in the corner, where she'd discarded it minutes before. She went and picked it up, before traipsing back upstairs.

A few days later, Mia sat on her bed with her Transfiguration book open on her knees. Angelina and Alicia were getting ready to go and play Quidditch against Ravenclaw. "You are coming… aren't you, Mia?" Alicia asked.

"Hm? Oh… um, I dunno…"

"Why?" Angelina asked.

"I… I need to revise!"

"We need you there!"

"I don't even do anything!"

"Oh please," Alicia scoffed, "you cheer us on! And don't say it wont make a difference, 'cause you've got the loudest voice in the school, and I _swear_ I can hear you screaming abuse at the opposite team!" Mia looked at them, standing in their Quidditch gear.

"You've been revising twenty-four seven since Fred and George left… you need a break," Angelina said softly. Mia continued to look at her.

"Um… ok," she sighed, closing her book. The two Chasers grinned.

Down on the Quidditch pitch, Davies, the Ravenclaw captain, caught the Quaffle immediately. He flew down the pitch, dodging Katie, Alicia _and_ Angelina, and threw the Quaffle towards the goal.

"CATCH IT, RON!" Mia screamed. Unfortunately, the ball soared through the hoops. "Oh my God, JUST CATCH THE EFFING BALL!" the Slytherins started singing _Weasley is Our King_. Alicia managed to get the Quaffle, but dropped it my dodging a bludger (sent by one of the _Gryffindor _beaters). One of the Ravenclaw Chaser caught it, and sent it flying towards Ron. The Quaffle fell just short of the posts and Katie caught it. Together, she, Alicia and Angelina flew across the pitch, tossing the Quaffle between them. "C'mon… c'mon… SHOOT!" Mia yelled. Katie launched the ball away from her, and the Gryffindors cheered as it went through the hoop.

Ravenclaw managed to get the Quaffle back up and flying towards Ron. "BLOCK IT, RON!" Mia stamped her foot. She watches as Ron stretched out his hands… and caught the Quaffle. For a second, it seemed as if nobody realized what had happened… and then the Gryffindors screamed. "YES! GET IN THERE!" Mia yelled, punching the air. After that, Ron managed to catch the Quaffle a lot more. Slowly, _Weasley is Our King_ got louder and louder, and Mia noticed people around her were singing it. She stopped for a second and listened.

_Weasley is our King,_

_Weasley is our King,_

_He didn't let the Quaffle in_

_Weasley is our King._

_Weasley can save anything,_

_He never leaves a single ring,_

_That's why Gryffindors all sing:_

_Weasley is our King._

Mia grinned and started singing along. They sang louder then the Slytherins- some of students literally screaming the lyrics. Up by the goal posts, Ron grinned, going in for another save.

Finally, Ginny caught the Snitch. Gryffindor had won. The silver Quidditch Cup was handed to Angelina, but she immediately shoved it into Ron's hands. He just looked down at it for a second, before holding it up. "YES! WE WON!" Mia screamed, "Oh, if only Fred and George could see this…" the Gryffindors flooded down onto the pitch, and Mia pushed her way to the front. "WELL DONE!" Mia yelled to Ron, ruffling his hair. He grinned at her before he was hoisted up by someone.

The joy of Gryffindor winning the Quidditch Cup didn't last for long. Mia joined in with the party after the match, but soon slipped back upstairs and grabbed her Transfiguration book.

The next Monday, they were given their exam timetable. "Just like when you took your OWLs," Professor McGonagall was saying "you will sit your theory papers in the mornings and your practical examinations in the afternoon. Remember that all anti-cheating charms have been applied to your examination papers. Auto-Answer Quills are banned from the examination hall, as are Remembralls, Detachable Cribbing Cuffs and Self-Correcting Ink. Of course, every year there is at least one student who tries to find a loop hole. They fail. If I remember correctly, when you all took your OWLs, it was nobody in Gryffindor. Make sure it is the same this year."

Mia looked at her schedule. She had Charms on Monday, Defence Against the Dark Arts on Tuesday, Herbology on Wednesday, Potions on Thursday and Transfiguration on Friday. "Are we gunna get our results the same way?" she asked, not looking up.

"Yes. An owl will deliver your results sometime during July."

"Oh god…" she muttered under her breath.

Finally, it came to Sunday night. Mia sat in her corner of the common room, reading through her Charms notes. "_Aguamenti_," she muttered, prodding her wand at a little bowl. A few inches of water shot out. She nodded. "and then… _Exaresco_," the water evaporated. She nodded again. She probably wouldn't have even gone up to bed if Angelina hadn't of come over and forced her too. Even then, she lay awake in bed for a good few hours before finally drifting off to sleep.

"Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God," she licked her lips as the seventh years entered the Great Hall the next morning. She sat down at the single desk. "You may begin." As one, everyone in the hall turned over their papers.

Question One: Give the incantation that sets objects alight.

_Indo_? She thought. _No… Inodio! No… Incendio!_ She began to write.

She managed to get most of the questions done. She only missed out one about halfway through and didn't have enough time to do the last few. She didn't eat much during lunch, and kept filling her glass up with water, then evaporating it again. After lunch, the seventh years gathered in the Chamber off the side of the Hall, waiting to be called into the practical. "Homing, Mia."

"Good luck!" Alicia and Angelina told her. She smile weakly and went into the Hall. She was sent to a middle-aged examiner.

"Miss Homing?" the examiner asked and Mia nodded. "Very well… first, can you please fill this bowl with water? Preferably non-verbally." Mia nodded and waved her wand at the bowl. Nothing happened. She licked her lips and looked up at the examiner. "Try again." Mia flicked her wand again, and water fell into the bowl, almost filling it to the brim. She licked her lips again and the examiner told her to set alight some parchment.

On the whole, Mia felt the exam went… alright. She had to attempt a lot of the charms twice or three times non-verbally before they worked, and when she preformed _Avis_, only one bird came flying out of her wand.

That night, she revised for Defence Against the Dark Arts. Angelina literally hauled her up off the floor and pushed her up the stairs.

The paper was harder then the Charms one, mainly because Mia paid hardly any attention to Umbridge over the year. Several of the questions were on creatures, and the only one she _knew_ she'd answered correctly was the one about the Dementors. She even gave an example of a Corporal Patronus- a hawk. But the practical was better. She thanked Harry for that. She preformed all of the jinxes and counter-jinxes at a moderate standard. She missed a few times, once narrowly skimming her examiner.

That night, she revised for Herbology. Again, Angelina had to force her to go to bed.

Wednesday morning, she didn't eat any breakfast at all, and just stared down at her eggs. She had a feeling she would never eat eggs again.

During the theory paper, she kept glancing up at the large hour glass up the front, licking her lips every time. She spent ten minutes on question fifteen _(describe a __Venomous Tentacula_) because she _knew_ what a Venomous Tentacula was! Finally, the plant literally popped into her head, and she quickly wrote down the description before she forgot it again. The practical went better. They had to harvest some Venomous Tentacula leaves- Mia heard a Hufflepuff girl mutter 'oh yeah, _that's_ a Venomous Tentacula…' very quietly.

That night, she revised for Potions. She revised in the dormitory, and only stopped because Angelina turned out the lights.

On Thursday, four nights worth of bad sleeping caught up with her, and she struggled to keep her eyes open.

Both the theory and the practical went better then she thought they would do. Luckily, about a quarter of the questions on the paper were to do with Healing, and the others she didn't have to think about that much. In the practical, she had to create the Draught of Living Death, and a difficult antidote for a rare poison. The antidote was one of the ones listed in _Medicine Magic: a Guide to the World of Magical Medicine_, and she had read over it countless of times, so she was sure she got that one right.

That night, she revised for Transfiguration. Stupidly, she stayed up later then ever; revising by the light of the Gloww Ball Alicia had gotten her for her seventeenth birthday.

Question twenty-three on the paper asked her to describe a Protean Charm, and she had no idea why a Galleon kept rolling into her head. She stared at a small spot on the desk, licking her lips, imagining the Galleon was sitting there. The numbers around the side of the imagined Galleon changed, and she cocked her head. _DA…_ she thought, _Hermione… NEWT level… PROTEAN CHARM!_ In the practical, she accidentally changed her examiners hair from brown to blonde, instead of turning her pig into a mouse, but the rest of the things went alright.

She left the Hall, and breathed out a sigh. They were done. The exams were over. She stood in the brightly lit Entrance Hall for a second. The double doors were wide open and the sound of laughing ands shrieking students flowed over her. The lucky students who didn't need to do any major exams. She turned and made her way to Gryffindor tower.

She passed through all the fifth years who were studying for their OWLs that started the next Monday. "How did the exam go, Mia?" Hermione asked, glancing up briefly from her notes.

"Pray you never have to do them," she replied darkly, ignored the slightly afraid look on Ron's face, ran up the stairs and flung herself onto her bed.

**Ok… so I am **_**really**_** sorry if you found this chapter boring… but… y'know, it's the NEWTs… it needed to be put in… its important… but the exciting stuff should start up again in the next chapter… so, again I'm sorry if you found it boring**

**Please Review!**


	16. Awake All Night

**Hey guys!**

**So, apparently, the last chapter wasn't boring! Well, according to my reviewers, anyway. Thanks: MarianneP, rowellylovesgryffindor, Sam, the Anon, Misery and Phantom!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anyone but Mia and blah, blah, blah**

**Ok… so this chapter skips forward to about half way through the second week of the OWLs… 'Cept for a little bit at the beginning…**

**Also, for, I'm going on the idea that Madam Pomfrey sleeps in a sort of side room connected to the Hospital Wing.**

Chapter 16: Awake All Night

After the NEWTs, Mia felt oddly lighter. She locked all of her books away in her trunk and shoved it under her bed. She then spent the entire weekend in bed- trying to catch up on all the sleep she'd lost.

During the two weeks that the OWLs were taking place, she tried to keep out of the common room as much as possible- so the fifth years could revise in peace. She even stopped a couple of second years entering once, saying "you'll be hoping someone'll do it for you when you're revising."

Wednesday night, she was woken up by a _BANG_. Her eyes opened slowly and she blinked a few times. Her eyes flicked around in the darkness for a second before she sat up, yawning. A few minutes later, there were several more bangs and crashes, and she reached out, tapping the Gloww Ball. Angelina and Alicia were still asleep. There was another, louder bang, and she slipped out of bed, walking towards the window.

She could see some light, and shadows flickered on the ground. She pressed her face to the glass, trying to see more, but she couldn't. Another crash. She ran out of the dormitory and down the stairs into the common room, where several other people were huddled around a window.

"What's happening?" she asked, joining the crowd.

"Dunno," Ginny said, shrugging.

"Oh, well that's very helpful."

Several more people came down stairs- including Angelina and Alicia. "We thought you'd been kidnapped or something," Alicia joked. Soon, pretty much everyone in Gryffindor was crowded around the window.

A shadow stretched into the light, and they all saw Umbridge striding across the grounds.

"What's _she_ doing out there?" Mia sneered. A few minutes later, a group of people followed her, a couple of them carrying a body. Several people gasped.

"What happened to McGonagall?" Colin Creevey asked.

"Is she unconscious?" his brother, Dennis, asked.

"She might've been Stunned," Ginny suggested.

"Or maybe Hagrid knocked her out cold," a third year said.

"Don't be stupid, Hagrid wouldn't do that!" Mia told him.

A few minutes later, Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnegan burst into the common room. Everyone around the window whipped round and flooded towards them.

"What happened?"

"Did you see?"

"What was Umbridge doing?" all the questions were jumbled together. Dean and Seamus started to tell them the story. "So, first, right, the doors opened and Umbridge came out, yeah?" Dean said.

"And she was surrounded by all these people, probably Aurors!" Seamus piped up.

"Yeah, and Hagrid come out and they started shooting spells everywhere!"

"But they all bounced off him!"

"And everyone was yelling all sorts of things!"

The other fifth years came back as Dean and Seamus were telling the story. Finally, Harry, Ron and Hermione came through the portrait hole.

"But why sack Hagrid now?" Angelina asked, "It's not like Trelawney; he's been teaching much better than usual this year!"

"Umbridge hates part-humans," Hermione muttered, sitting down in a chair next to Mia, "She was always going to try and get Hagrid out."

"She'd have sacked him anyway; he was too close to Dumbledore," Dean said.

"That's true," Harry sighed.

"I just hope Professor McGonagall's all right," said Lavender Brown.

"They carried her back up to the castle, we watched through the window," said Colin, "She didn't look very well."

"She looked more then 'unwell'!" Mia said, "She was bloody unconscious!"

"Madam Pomfrey will sort her out," Alicia stated, "she's never failed yet."

"I reckon she'll end up being sent to St Mungo's," Mia said, "Four Stunners at… how old is she? Well, four Stunners at any age's pretty bad."

The next day, Mia, Angelina, Alicia and Katie were wandering around the grounds.

"I can't believe Hagrid isn't here anymore… who's going to teach me Care of Magical Creatures?" Katie complained. Mia shrugged.

"They'll probably get that Grubbly-Plank woman in again," she said. As she said this, they walked past Hagrid's Hut. The lights were off and it had that empty, cold feeling. They turned around and went back up to the castle.

That evening, Mia was coming back from the library (she'd been returning some books she'd been using to revise for the NEWTs, and accidentally locked them in her trunk with all her other books), and was heading back towards the common room.

"Oh, I wouldn't go that way if I were you," Nearly Headless Nick came drifting towards her. She blinked for a second.

"Why?"

"Apparently, somebody's let off some Garrotting Gas," Nick informed her, "very horrible stuff… Filch is furious, storming around the school trying to find the culprit…" he drifted away again, leaving Mia standing there.

_Garrotting Gas?_ She thought. She looked down the corridor, then looked behind her, then started to walk in the exact direction Nick had warned her not to go. She got as far as the corridor with Umbridge office on, and there was still no sign of the Garrotting Gas. She stopped outside of Umbridge's office when she heard the sound of something falling on the ground. The door flung open and Mia's jaw fell open.

Ron, Ginny, Neville and Luna were standing in the doorway. Ron's lips was bleeding, Ginny had some scratches on her cheeks, Neville had a black eye and Luna had a few bruises on her arm. On the floor behind them were several Slytherins, lying either unconscious or unable to move.

"What. The. Hell?" Mia asked.

"Why are you down here?" Ron demanded.

"Going to the common room!" Mia said, "now what the hell happened here?"

"We'll explain in a sec," Ginny said, closing the door. They made their way down the corridor.

"Well?" Ginny, Luna, Neville and Ron looked at each other.

"Well…" Ron said. Ginny rolled her eyes.

"Harry saw something… Sirius getting tortured by You-Know-Who at the Ministry," she told Mia quietly, "we were trying to help him… only we got caught, and then Hermione took Harry and Umbridge somewhere… and then we escaped so now we're going to go find them." Mia just stared at her for a second.

"Ok…" she said, as everything processed.

"Only… I'm not sure what we're going to do once everyone realises we're gone," Ginny said.

"Oh, I hadn't thought of that!" Neville said.

"Good thing I did, then."

"I'll do that," Mia said suddenly.

"Huh?"

"I'll find some reason for you lot not being here. I'm good at this sorta thing." Ginny bit her lip, and then she nodded.

"Ok… when we get back… um…" they walked into the Entrance Hall.

"I'll wait in the common room. Come get me when you're back." Ginny nodded again.

"Right… see you later then, and thanks!" Ginny, Neville, Luna and Ron walked away. Mia stood there for a minute, and then ran back up to the common room. When she got there, Angelina and Alicia were sitting by the fire.

"Hey, Mia," Angelina said as she sunk into a chair beside them.

"Alright?"

"Did you get the books back to Madam Pince?"

"Barely…" Mia replied, "I think she almost killed me when I said I'd brought them back late."

A couple of hours later, Angelina went to bed, shortly followed by Alicia. "You coming, Mia?"

"Oh, um… yeah, I'll be there in a minute…" well, if a minute meant 'whenever Harry, Ron, Hermione, Neville, Luna and Ginny get back'. About an hour later, Mia snuck upstairs (grateful to see Angelina and Alicia were asleep) and picked up _Medicine Magic: a Guide to the World of Magical Medicine_, and went back downstairs. She flicked through the pages quickly, automatically skimming over some of the spells and potions she knew by heart. She picked out small differences between the versions in her book, and the ones Snape had taught her. She realized with a small twinge that she had written down the _Medicine Magic_ version of an antidote in her NEWT exam. She licked her lips, wondering weather it would make a difference.

A couple more hours passed. The common room was empty except for her. The fire had died and the only light in the room came from her wand. A few stars dotted the sky outside the window. She kept glancing at her watch. She wondered how long it would take to get Sirius. Would they have to fight? Were they injured? She started to get worried.

The stars started to disappear. Mia slammed _Medicine Magic_ shut and threw it down on the chair, striding out through the portrait hole. "Hm? Oh! What are you doing out of bed?" the Fat Lady shouted. Mia started walking faster and faster, until she was running down the corridors, the heels of her shoes clicking on the floor.

She stopped in the Entrance Hall, and licked her lips. She didn't know why she'd just run through the entire castle. Maybe she thought if she went somewhere, Harry, Ginny and everyone would be there. Or maybe the further she went, the faster time would go. She tried to push the doors open, but they were locked. She groaned, and started fiddling with her necklace. She pushed against the door again and nothing happen. She pulled out her wand. "_Alohomora_," she muttered, then shoved the doors. Again. Nothing happened. Again.

She didn't really want to go back up to Gryffindor Tower, so she walked over to the stairs and sat down on one. Mrs Weasley would be so upset if something happened to Ron or Ginny, or Harry or Hermione. Maybe she should've stopped them from going. She knew that Neville lived with his Grandmother… what would she do if something happened to him? And what about Luna's parents? What would they do?

She started to doze off. She was slumped against the wall, her legs out in front of her. Her eyes were slowly closing…

_BANG_! She flew up onto her feet, leapt from the stairs and held her wand out in front of her.

Some large, hulking object staggered into the Hall. As they drew closer, Mia saw it was Remus Lupin, who was carrying and unconscious Luna, Neville, who had blood all over his face, Ginny, being supported by Neville, and a man who was carrying Hermione over his shoulder and had Ron leaning on him. The sky outside was getting lighter, and Mia wondered exactly how long it had been since she'd found them in Umbridge's office.

"Mia!" Ron yelled. He staggered forward and almost toppled on top of her. She caught him- barley- and pushed him back up onto his feet. She saw deep gouges on his arms and over his chest, and he was only just standing by himself.

"What the hell happened?" she asked. Ron sank to the floor as Lupin, Neville and the other man reached them, still supporting the girls.

"You're still awake," Ginny breathed. Lupin looked over her once as Neville helped Ginny sit down by Ron.

"Mia," Lupin said, "I think you should go and wake Madam Pomfrey and tell her several students have been injured," Mia nodded and set off, but stopped when Lupin added, "do not tell anyone where you are going."

"Got it," She dashed off, running up to the Hospital Wing. When she got there, she slammed the doors open and bashed her fist against the door to Madam Pomfrey's room. Her fist almost collided with Madam Pomfrey's face as she opened the door, puffy eyed with a dazed expression.

"Yes?"

"There are some students down in the Entrance Hall who are seriously injured!" Mia said, very quickly. It took Madam Pomfrey a moment to realise what Mia had said, but when she did, she stood up a little straighter.

"Well, take me to them!"

A few minutes later, Mia skidded to a stop in the Entrance Hall. Hermione had been laid down next to Ron, but Luna seemed to have woken up, and was now sitting crossed-legged next to Ginny, staring off into space. Ron was looking over his arms and Neville kept prodding his nose tenderly. Lupin and the other man were conversing quietly a few metres away.

"Oh dear, what's happened?" Madam Pomfrey asked, hurrying over to the people on the floor. She didn't wait for an answer, and instead, helped Ron up. "You need to get to the Hospital Wing right away. Right, what's wrong with you?" she asked Ginny.

Mia walked over to Lupin and the other man.

"Yes, Williamson, that's _exactly_ what happened-" Lupin broke off as he saw Mia approach.

"What happened?" she asked him. Luna was now holding Ginny still as Madam Pomfrey fixed her ankle so she could walk.

"Firstly," Lupin said, "I'd like to know what you were doing hanging around in the Entrance Hall at this time." Neville had lifted Hermione over his shoulder. Mia sighed.

"I told Ginny that I'd cover for them if anyone found out they were gone," she explained, "I said I'd wait in the common room, and I was in there for hours! So I came down here… I think I was down here for hours as well." Luna and Ginny were now helping Ron stand up. "Now what happened? And where's Harry?"

"I expect Harry's with Dumbledore-"

"Dumbledore?" Mia cut him off.

"Yes. I thought you wanted to know what happened?" Lupin asked.

"Right… carry on." The others were now making their way gingerly up to the Hospital Wing. Lupin explained what had happened once the Order had gotten to the Ministry. He told her about the fight between them and the Death Eaters and how Sirius Black had been killed by Bellatrix Lestrange. How Harry had gone after her, and how Dumbledore had turned up. They started making their way to the Hospital Wing. Williamson walked silently behind him. When they reached the Hospital Wing, they saw Neville's nose had been fixed, and he was now mopping the blood off his face with a damp cloth, Hermione and Ron (who had fallen asleep) had been put into beds, Ginny was sitting in a chair and Luna was being looked over by Madam Pomfrey. Mia went over and sat next in a chair next to Hermione's bed.

"Well, I think it would be best if we left. Good night," Lupin said. He and Williamson left as Madam Pomfrey declared that Luna was fine.

"So… what _really_ happened?" Mia asked quietly. Neville, Luna and Ginny told her about the Department of Mysteries, and how Sirius wasn't there, and then the Prophecy and the Death Eaters. After that, they were all silent for a very long time.

Until Harry came sprinting into the room. Neville shot out of his seat and Ginny looked up at him lazily. "Are you ok, Harry?" Luna asked. He just looked at them all.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he answered, a little too quickly.

"Are you sure?" Ginny asked.

"Yeah." He fell onto an empty bed.

They all stayed in the Hospital Wing for a very long time, not talking or doing anything. Just sitting- or sleeping- there. The only movement was when Ron shifted slightly in his sleep…

**Um… ok… so had about fifty variations of this chapter… but this one seemed to work best…**

**Ok, the next chapter will be the last one… but I've been thinking about doing one set during Half Blood Prince… I even have the basic outlines of a couple of chapters written! So… would you like to read it?**

**Please Review!**


	17. The Last Train Ride

**Hey! How are you all?**

**Thanks to: rowellylovesgryffindor, Sam, MarianneP, Bellaroe, Misery, Phantom and the Anon for reviewing.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anyone but Mia and her parents…**

Chapter 17: The Last Train Ride

It was a few days after the incident at the Department of Mysteries. Hermione was reading through the Daily Prophet, scoffing every now and then. Ron- who was propped up by many pillows- was resting with his eyes closed. Ginny was curled up at the bottom of Hermione's bed. Neville was reading through a Chocolate Frog card. Harry was sitting in a chair next to Ron's bed- looking paler then usual. Luna was telling Mia about Nargles. She wasn't really sure whether she believed her or not, but they were interesting to hear about, nonetheless.

"-And you have to be extra careful around Christmas time," Luna was saying, "Because they like to hide in Mistletoe!"

"Interesting," Mia said. She'd been spending most of her free time in the Hospital Wing with them since they'd gotten back

"Yes, and then they-"

"HA!" Hermione suddenly exclaimed.

"What?" Ron asked, as his eyes flew open.

"Listen to thins," Hermione said. Luna shrugged and opened the copy of the Quibbler that she'd been holding. Hermione began to read.

"HE-WHO-MUST-NOT-BE-NAMED RETURNS" Mia rolled her eyes. So the story had gotten out at last, had it? After a whole year?

"In a brief statement on Friday night, Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge confirmed that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named has returned to this country and is active once more."

"Took them long enough," Mia muttered. Hermione shot her glance and continued reading.

"'It is with great regret that I must confirm that the wizard styling himself Lord- well, you know who I mean- is alive and among us again,' said Fudge, looking tired and flustered as he addressed reporters. 'It is with almost equal regret that we report the mass revolt of the Dementors of Azkaban, who have shown themselves averse to continuing in the Ministry's employ. We believe the Dementors are currently taking direction from Lord- Thingy." Mia's eyebrows dipped. _Lord Thingy_? He could at _least_ use the name everyone else used.

"'We urge the magical population to remain vigilant. The Ministry is currently publishing guides to elementary home and personal Defence which will be delivered free to all wizarding homes within the coming month."

"The Minister's statement was met with dismay and alarm from the wizarding community, which as recently as last Wednesday was receiving Ministry assurances that there was 'no truth whatsoever in these persistent rumours that You-Know-Who is operating amongst us once more."

"Details of the events that led to the Ministry turnaround are still hazy, though it is believed that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and a select band of followers (known as Death Eaters) gained entry to the Ministry of Magic itself on Thursday evening."

"Well of course they _gained entry_!" Mia scoffed, "how else would they of been in there?" Hermione ignored her.

"Albus Dumbledore, newly reinstated Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, reinstated member of the International Confederation of Wizards and reinstated Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, has so far been unavailable for comment. He has insisted over the past year that You-Know-Who is not dead, as was widely hoped and believed, but is recruiting followers once more for afresh attempt to seize power. Meanwhile, the 'Boy Who Lived'-"

"There you are, Harry, I knew they'd drag you into it somehow," Hermione looked at him.

"He's the 'boy who lived' again now, though, isn't he?" said Ron darkly. "Not such a deluded show-off any more, eh?" Ron said, throwing a Chocolate Frog to everyone.

"Yes, they're very complimentary about you now, Harry," Hermione searched through the page, "'A lone voice of truth… perceived as unbalanced, yet never wavered in his story… forced to bear ridicule and slander…' Hmmm, I notice they don't mention the fact that it was them doing all the ridiculing and slandering in the Prophet…"

"Of course they won't," Mia laughed, "in fact, I bet they're going to try and get you on their side, Harry," she looked at him, "get you to say it was someone else or something." He grimaced. Hermione sighed and discarded the Chocolate Frog Ron had given her without even opening it.

"You-Know-Who's Last Attempt to Take Over, pages two to four, What the Ministry Should Have Told Us, page five, Why Nobody Listened to Albus Dumbledore, pages six to eight, Exclusive Interview with Harry Potter, page nine…" she continued, " Well it's certainly given them lots to write about. And that interview with Harry isn't exclusive; it's the one that was in The Quibbler months ago…"

"Daddy sold it to them," said Luna vaguely, looking up, "He got a very good price for it, too, so we're going to go on an expedition to Sweden this summer to see if we can catch a Crumple-Horned Snorkack."

"That sounds lovely," Hermione said, after a small pause. Mia bit off the head of her Frog to stop herself from laughing,

"So, anyway, what's going on in school?" Hermione asked.

"Well, Flitwick's got rid of Fred and George's swamp," said Ginny, "he did it in about three seconds. But he left a tiny patch under the window and he's roped it off"

"Why?" Hermione asked.

"Oh, he just says it was a really good bit of magic," said Ginny, shrugging.

"I think he left it as a monument to Fred and George," said Ron. "They sent me all these, you know," he pointed to all the frogs. "Must be doing all right out of that joke shop, eh?"

"So has all the trouble stopped now Dumbledore's back?"

"Yes," said Neville, "everything's settled right back to normal."

"I s'pose Filch is happy, is he?" Ron asked.

"Not at all," said Ginny "He's really, really miserable, actually…" She lowered her voice to a whisper. "He keeps saying Umbridge was the best thing that ever happened to Hogwarts…"

They all looked over to the bed where Umbridge was lying. Mia, Luna and Harry had been the only ones awake when Dumbledore had come into the Hospital Wing with her in his arms. She hadn't uttered a single sound as Madam Pomfrey looked her over, and hadn't moved at all since, except one small twitch when Mia tutted the other day at something in the Daily Prophet.

"Madam Pomfrey says she's just in shock," whispered Hermione.

"Sulking, more like," said Ginny

"Yeah, she shows signs of life if you do this," said Ron, and then clicked his tongue. Umbridge sat bolt upright, looking around wildly.

"Anything wrong, Professor?" asked Madam Pomfrey.

"No… no…" said Umbridge. "No, I must have been dreaming…" the fake sweetness had left her voice.

"Serves her right," Mia muttered as Hermione and Ginny covered their faces with the bed sheets.

"Speaking of centaurs," said Hermione, "whose Divination teacher now? Is Firenze staying?"

"He's got to," said Harry, "the other centaurs won't take him back, will they?"

"It looks like he and Trelawney are both going to teach," Ginny continued.

"Bet Dumbledore wishes he could've got rid of Trelawney for good… mind you, the whole subject's useless if you ask me, Firenze isn't a lot better…" Ron mused.

"How can you say that?" Hermione exclaimed. "After we've just found out that there are real prophecies?" they were all silent for a minute, until Hermione said, "It is a pity it broke."

"Yeah, it is," said Ron. "Still, at least You-Know-Who never found out what was in it either," Harry stood up. "where are you going?" Ron asked.

"Er - Hagrid's," said Harry. "You know, he just got back and I promised I'd go down and see him and tell him how you two are."

"Oh, all right then," said Ron, with a disappointed tone, "Wish we could come."

"Say hello to him for us!" called Hermione. "And ask him what's happening about… about his little friend!" Harry waved as he left.

"… Little friend?" Mia asked. Hermione looked at her.

"Don't worry." she said.

"Right…" Mia then turned to Luna, "So what's a Crumple-Horned Snorkack?"

During dinner before the last day of term, Mia sat in between Angelina and Alicia with Harry, Ron, Hermione, Neville and Ginny sitting opposite them. Hermione and Ron- who had been let out of the Hospital Wing a couple days previously- weren't eating much, and were just picking at their food. Suddenly, there was a loud shriek from the Entrance Hall. Through the open doors, the students could glimpse Umbridge cowering, with Peeves whacking her over the head with a walking stick.

The students flooded out of the Great Hall and Umbridge screamed again, running out into the grounds, with her arms flailing. Peeves and the students followed her.

"TAKE THAT, BITCH!" Mia hollered, punching the air as Umbridge ran out of sight. Peeves continued to swoop around the gate in circles, cackling and tossing the walking stick up in the air and catching it again. Mia shrieked with laughter, grabbing onto Angelina to stop herself from toppling over.

A few days later, Mia was standing on the Hogwarts Express, in a compartment, with Angelina and Alicia. They all felt slightly solemn. "This is the last time we're ever going to be on this train," Mia said, looking around the compartment.

"Huh… kinda weird… isn't it?" Angelina asked.

"Yeah," Alicia replied.

They were all silent for a minute, then Alicia said, "So, Mia, you think George'll be at the station?" Mia gave a short laugh.

"He'd better be…" she said, pretending to be threatening, but then she smiled, "yeah… I recon he will be… I mean, he and Fred'll want to show off to everyone, won't they?"

"Good point," Alicia said.

The food trolley came along and Mia brought a couple of cauldron cakes- she'd become slightly sick of Chocolate Frogs after she'd helped Ron eat all of his when he was in the Hospital Wing.

As the sky got slightly darker, Mia fell silent. Seven years ago, she'd finished her first year at Hogwarts, and she'd been wondering if she'd wake up the next morning and find it was all a dream. Now she'd finished her entire education, and all she needed to do was wait for a slip of parchment that would tell her where she could go in the future. It was all kind of… surreal.

"Mia… Mia… MIA!" Angelina yelled.

"Huh? What?" Mia jumped.

"We've stopped." Mia looked out of the window, sure enough, they train had stopping at Platform 9¾. The train slowly emptied.

Well… bye," Mia said.

"'S been a great seven years," Angelina said.

"My only regret is that Mia never joined the Quidditch Team," Alicia joked. Mia rolled her eyes.

"I never had a chance! And even if I did… I suck at flying, so I wouldn't even of made it onto the team!" she said.

"Anyways, we're keeping Mia away from her lover boy," Angelina winked and Mia rolled her eyes. They all said goodbye one last time, before running through the barrier onto King's Cross.

Mia looked around, but she couldn't see anyone she knew. "Over there," Angelina whispered, before heading off to greet her family. Mia looked to where Angelina had pointed and grinned. Fred and George were standing with their arms crossed, both of them beaming at her. She went over to them and stopped, smiling up at them.

"Hey, Mia," Fred said.

"Hi," she replied.

"I'll, er, let you two catch up," Fred left, walking over to where Ron was talking to Harry and Hermione.

Mia smiled up at George for a second, then he leaned down and pressed his lips to her. She smiled into the kiss and wrapped her arms up around his neck as he placed his hands on her waist and pulled her closer. When they broke apart, Mia looked up at him. "I missed you," she said.

"I could tell," he smirked. Mia rolled her eyes as Fred came back over.

"Finished?" he asked.

"Mmm… no," she kissed George again and heard Fred pretend to retch.

"Funny. So, so funny," he said as they pulled apart again. Mia rolled her eyes again, then tugged on the end of the vivid green jacket George was wearing.

"What the hell are these?" she asked. Fred turned up his collar.

"Jackets made from the finest dragon skin," he answered, "Why? do you like 'em?" Mia bit her lip to stop from giggling.

"Honestly? They're horrible." Fred put on a fake look of being offended.

"Well, obviously you just don't have good taste!" Mia giggled. "but seriously," Fred continued, "I think your parents are over there." He was right, Mia's parents had just emerged from a large crowd of people. She waved over at them.

"I'll see you too in a minute," she ran off towards her mum and dad. She passed Mr and Mrs Weasley, Mad-Eye Moody, Lupin, and a woman with pink hair who looked ever-so-slightly familiar. As she went, her wand fell out of her pocket and she picked it up, before stopping in front of her parents.

"Hi!" she said, dropping her trunk by her dad's feet.

"Hello, Mia, how was school?" her mother said.

"It was alright," Mia shrugged, "NEWTs were a little stressful, but I'm fine now!"

"Newts? Why did you stress over a newt?" her dad asked, and Mia laughed a bit.

"Um… no, a NEWT is an exam… it stands for Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Tests… they're really important," she explained.

"Ah, I see," her dad said. Mia giggled again. out of the corner of her eyes, she saw the group of people who had come to see Harry, Ron and Hermione group around three people. "I'll… be back in a sec," she told her parents, and went over, standing next to George.

They were standing in front of three people. A rather large man with an equally large moustache, a very thin woman with a bony face, and a fat boy around Harry, Ron and Hermione's age. Mia guessed they were Harry's uncle, aunt and cousin. The boy cowered behind his parents when they all approached.

"Good afternoon," Mr. Weasley said politely, "You might remember me, my name's Arthur Weasley," he paused for a second, then carried on, "We thought we'd just have a few words with you about Harry."

"Yeah," Moody said, "About how he's treated when he's at your place." Harry's uncle seemed to stand up a little straighter.

"I am not aware that it is any of your business what goes on in my house-"

"I expect what you're not aware of would fill several books, Dursley," Moody cut him off.

"Anyway, that's not the point," said the women with pink hair. Mai suddenly recognised her. She was the woman who had broken, then fixed Mia's ankle at the World Cup. "The point is, if we find out you've been horrible to Harry," she finished.

"And make no mistake, we'll hear about it," Lupin said.

"Yes," said Mr. Weasley, "even if you won't let Harry use the fellytone-" Mia suppressed a giggle.

"Yeah," Moody snarled, "if we get any hint that Potter's been mistreated in any way, you'll have us to answer to." Harry's uncle's face flooded.

"Are you threatening me, sir?" he said, taking a step forward.

"Yes, I am," Moody said, and Harry's uncle stepped back again.

"And do I look like the kind of man who can be intimidated?"

"Well…" Moody lifted up the hat he was wearing, showing his bright blue eye to Harry's uncle, who leapt back. "Yes, I'd have to say you do, Dursley."

Harry's uncle looked over every person in the small crowd. He obviously wanted to get away from them. They all had something… un-Muggle like about them. Moody with his hat tipped low over his eye. Lupin with the scars across his face. Tonks with her bright pink hair and 'weird-sisters' t-shirt. Mr and Mrs Weasley dressed in miss-matching Muggle clothes. Fred and George in their dragon skin jackets. Mia was still holding her wand from when she'd dropped it. Hermione was holding her trunk, as was Ron. And Harry… well, his uncle could probably spot all sorts of weird things about Harry.

"So, Potter… give us a shout if you need us. If we don't hear from you for three days in a row, we'll send someone along…" Moody said, "Bye, then, Potter."

"Take care, Harry," said Lupin, "Keep in touch."

Mrs Weasley hugged him, whispering something to him, then Ron said, "We'll see you soon, mate."

"Really soon, Harry, we promise." Hermione told him.

"Bye, Harry!" Mia called to him. then he waved, and turned to leave the station. His family quickly followed. After they left, Mia looked over at her parents, holding up a finger to tell them she'd just be a minute.

"You gunna come and see the shop?" Fred asked.

"Of course!" she replied.

"When?" said George. Mia thought about it for a moment.

"Well… I'm going to Jess' for a week… and that's in a couple days… so it'll have to be after that… what about in a couple weeks?" she suggested. The twins nodded.

"Definitely," George said.

"Great," said Fred.

"I'll see you then," she smiled. Her mum called her name. "Bye." She hugged Fred and pecked George's lips quickly. "Love you," she whispered.

"I love you, too," he replied.

"Oh, please!" Fred cut in. Mia rolled her eyes and slapped his arm.

"See you in a couple weeks!" and she ran off towards her parents.

**So, that was the last chapter… but I am definitely going ahead with the sequel… it probably won't be up until after Christmas though… I need to find a place to put a couple ideas and actually think of a name for it…**

**So remember, please review, a maybe a couple words on the story overall?**


	18. Sequel

**Sequel: Real**

**I have now put up the first chapter to the Sequel of Balance… here's the summery thingamajig:**

**With You-Know-Who out in the open, life has suddenly got harder. People don't trust each other. And even though Weasley's Wizard Wheezes is thriving, so is St Mungo's. Time for Mia to learn what life in the real world is like…**

**Oh yeah, and thanks to: MarianneP, shopoholic06, bluemicky22, MaraudersLiveOnAsAnimagus, Bellaroe, rowellylovesgryffindor, the Anon, Lobo de Fuego and Kitcool for reviewing!**


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